You, Me, and Everyone in Between
by LeafyDream
Summary: Since meeting each other, Jaune and Ruby's lives have turned around. All the stress and problems of the past fade away, as their friendship blooms in the bustling city of Vale. But Ruby has a secret. Three, in fact. Her alternate identities: Weiss, Blake, and Yang.
1. Book 1: A Cold Melancholy

**A Cold Melancholy**

Christmas in Vale was an amazing thing. The snow fell onto the city like a blanket, and it reflected the lights of the city, like a prism. Ruby's window was a gorgeous painting right on her wall. She stared out into the world, and she knew why Vale was called 'The City That Never Sleeps.' The big city was always bustling with life, and Christmas morning was no exception.

Ruby Rose had been in Vale over four months now, yet the metropolis still seemed strange to her. Maybe it was just the fact that Vale was as different from Patch as one could get. Patch was a little town where everybody knew everybody else. Every family had some kind of connection to another, even if it was something as simple as the children being friends with each other. Patch felt like it was just a really big house, with the entire community being one big family.

Vale was big city living at its finest. The place was the kind of metropolis that small town kids dreamed about. It had the huge, sprawling towers, a wild nightlife, coastal amusement parks, and just the sense that you could get lost in it all. Ruby grew up on stories of the place. Her mother grew up in this city. It was even where she met her future husband...

Ruby sighed, her eyes falling to her feet. _Haven't talked to dad in a while. Hope he's okay,_ she thought. She could see people walking on the sidewalk down below, couples, families, and the few loners in between. _Wonder where everyone's going..._

The young woman grew up on her mother's stories. Both the fictional, epic adventures of heroes and stories of Summer growing up in the massive city. But living in the place now, Ruby had no idea how her mother could have done all the things she did. Summer skated on ice rinks, went to famous landmarks, and did all sorts of amazing things. But Ruby hadn't even been to Emerald Park after four months of living in Vale.

 _Mom promised me we'd go together,_ she remembered. But that promise was made a long time ago. Before Ruby met Adam, and before her little family was torn apart. Back when she was just a little kid with an overactive imagination, and two of the greatest parents in the world.

Silver eyes widened for a moment as she felt someone touch her hand. There was no one else in the room but herself, but she learned a long time ago that herself was all she needed. Ruby smiled as her left hand gently stroked her right.

"Thanks, Yang."

Were someone to be watching her, they would have thought Ruby was just talking to herself. Her apartment was empty. No roommates, no guests, no one but herself, standing by the window in an ugly Christmas sweater she had bought for herself.

But Ruby never was alone. She had the voices in her head to keep her company.

* * *

She was five years old when she met her best friend. She was shaking underneath her blanket, so sure that monsters were going to devour her. She remembered holding her favorite stuffed animal, a fat, round crow with a tiny little beak, and large, black eyes. She was clutching the bird, begging for the monsters outside not to eat her.

Then a voice called out to her, and Ruby was so sure she felt a pair of hands hold her. _"Everything's going to be okay. There aren't any monsters, and even if there were, I'd kick their butts!"_ At first Ruby was terrified of the voice, like anyone would be. She asked who the voice was, and she didn't get an answer for so long, she wondered if there ever was a voice. _"I don't think I have a name, but I know I need to protect you."_

The voice kept talking to Ruby, and the two soon decided that she was a girl judging by the way her voice sounded. The voice would ask Ruby about herself, about her family, about the little stuffed crow in her hands. All to try and calm her down and help her forget about any monsters outside. And when there was a tapping at her window, and Ruby nearly screamed in terror, the voice embraced her again.

 _"It's okay. I'll look. You stay here, okay?"_ Ruby slowly nodded her head. _"I can't see anything. Can you move the blanket?"_ Again, Ruby nodded, lifting it up slightly. _"I... I can't move my head. My neck feels so stiff... I can almost..."_ It was then that Ruby realized something about the voice. She could only see what Ruby saw, like they shared the same eyes. The little girl gulped, before lifting her head to stare out the little hole. _"Okay, I can see the window..."_

It was one of the strangest feelings the child had ever experienced. Her eyes were focusing on the window, but she could barely see it. Her vision became fuzzy as she saw the window in perfect detail. It was hard to comprehend, and even harder to describe.

 _"It's just a branch poking your window. See?"_ Ruby's vision turned back to normal, and she saw what the voice did. There really was just a branch poking at her window. _"Nothing to be afraid of."_

"I… Thank you," the little girl whispered.

 _"No problem. I got your back, Rubes."_

From that night on, Ruby and the voice were best friends. The two would eventually agree on a name for the mysterious voice, deciding 'Yang' was perfect for her.

* * *

 _"No problem, sis. You okay?"_ Yang asked. Her voice was like Ruby's, only lower. More mature. That was a side effect about being one of Ruby's alternates. No matter how different Yang and Ruby were from each other, they still shared the same voice.

Ruby's right hand pulled away from her left, and the young woman could feel Yang relinquish control back to her. The young woman pulled her eyes away from the window, and sighed. "This is our first Christmas out of Patch. The first one away from dad. I guess the place just feels a little empty..."

She couldn't see Yang, but she could still feel her sister's eyes on her. Her sister was probably annoyed that Ruby was bringing their father up again. Yang hadn't forgiven him yet. Ruby wasn't even sure if she had.

 _"Yeah, but come on! We got the whole place to ourselves! We can do whatever we want! Isn't that cool? Whatever we want, Ruby!"_ But she wouldn't let Ruby hear the frustration in her voice. Yang put on a happy smile, and did her best to comfort her younger sister.

"Yeah, I guess it is, I just-"

 _"Would you two stop being so loud?"_ a third voice groaned. The voice sounded like Ruby's, but there was a measured tone to it, like a scolding teacher. Weiss always wanted to sound like she was in control...

"Sorry, Weiss." Ruby smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. She could feel Weiss rolling her eyes as Ruby walked over to their kitchen.

" _It's fine,"_ muttered the voice. _"Just impossible to study with you two yelling in my ear."_

" _Who studies on Christmas?"_ Yang wondered. _"Then again, Blake is spending the day reading… What's wrong with you two?! It's Christmas! We should be partying!"_

" _Yeah, no. I don't think so. We still have an essay to finish, remember?"_

" _It's practically done!"_

Ruby shook her head in amusement as the two voices bickered. She searched the cupboards and drawers for a snack, glancing at the food the others had picked up. Weiss has her fancy chocolates that no one was allowed to have (They were really good), Yang had the snacks she got solely for how weird they were, like soda flavored pop-tarts (They were better than they should have been, honestly), and Blake had her shrimp-flavored chips (Gross).

Ruby finally found her own snack: a box of cookies. She opened it and began to toss the sweet, crunchy treats into her mouth, walking out of the kitchen.

" _Not more cookies,"_ groaned Weiss. _"Ugh, I can taste them on my tongue. Oatmeal? Really?"_

"I ran out of chocolate chip," Ruby shrugged.

Her, or rather their, apartment was a pretty nice place. The only doors were the front, bathroom, and bedroom door. Everything else was easy to walk in and out of. The kitchen was just next to the living room, and Ruby laid down on the couch as Yang spoke.

" _Hey, Ruby! How about we watch a movie?"_ Yang suggested. _"One of those stopmotion films we used to watch back home? It'll just be like old times!"_

Ruby smiled slightly at Yang's attempt to cheer her up. "Sounds good. I can make some popcorn for us."

" _Great. Kid movies,"_ sighed Weiss.

"Blake? Do you want to join us?"

There was momentary silence as the three waited for an answer. Blake was the fourth voice in her head, third chronologically, and typically the quietest. Finally she replied. _"Sure."_

Despite how annoyed she sounded, Ruby knew Blake was happy to spend time with their little family. Ruby sat down on their couch in front of the TV as Yang took control of Ruby's left hand, grabbing the remote and flipping the screen on.

" _Whoo! Movie time!"_ Yang shouted.

Ruby plastered a smile onto her face as she stared at the screen. She agreed with whatever movie Yang suggested, not really caring what was put on for the four.

The young woman had lived with her unique condition all her life. Her life never seemed out of the ordinary, and the voices in her head always felt like family to her. Even when her own family fell apart, Yang, Weiss, and Blake were there for her.

Yang was Ruby's sister. Weiss and Blake were amazing. She wouldn't give the three up for anything, or anyone.

But when you live with something your whole life, you get curious about what life would be if it was... different. Ruby Rose loved her family, and she always would, but no matter how much they talked or lived through her, she'd glance at the other side of the couch and find it empty.

No matter how many times Ruby spoke to Yang, Weiss, and Blake, it was only her voice bouncing off the walls.

She was lonely, something Ruby didn't think could even be possible for her. Ruby Rose was lonely, and all she wanted was something, someone, to call hers.

* * *

Vale was an amazing city. Jaune Arc had lived in the Big Apple all his life, and strangely enough, the city had become like a childhood friend to him. It was always there, ready to help him get his mind off of whatever was bothering him, whether it was an upcoming test, his parents, or just the general day to day problem, the city always proved a nice distraction for him.

A distraction was just what he needed this Christmas afternoon, what with Ren and Nora in China.

He told his best friends he'd be fine alone on Christmas, and he meant it. Ren hadn't been back home in over a year, and Nora had never even been to his hometown, let alone to China. Not to mention she'd finally get to meet her boyfriend's parents face to face. They deserved to go, and they deserved to spend Christmas and New Years together with Ren's family.

The only thing stopping them had been Jaune. Ren's parents could barely afford their son and his girlfriend coming over. They couldn't loan the money for a third wheel.

So Jaune decided to be the good friend, and told the two to go. They got an amazing holiday season, and Jaune got to spend the holidays alone for the first time.

It would be a nice change of pace, he told himself.

Jaune inhaled the cold, winter air, before letting out a long sigh. "Never been better," he muttered to himself. His phone vibrated, knocking him out of his little world. He walked down the sidewalk, phone in hand as he looked at his messages.

Ren and Nora were together, beaming with joy with, who Jaune assumed were, Ren's parents. Everyone looked so happy. Ren was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, and Nora was waving at Jaune through the photo. A text followed the image.

' _Merry Christmas! You okay, Jauney?'_ Jaune read. Sounded like Nora sent the message. Jaune's thumb hovered over the buttons as he thought about what to say.

He should say something to show them he was course, Ren would probably see right through any lie and realize something was wrong with him. That was the problem with best friends. They always know...

It wasn't a total lie, though! Jaune was doing pretty well for a wanderlust 20-something. He was delivering pizzas while his two best friends were halfway across the country. He was a college dropout while Ren and Nora made futures for themselves. He was alone on Christmas, while…

 _Wow. I am terrible at making myself feel better._ Maybe that's why Jaune was out on Christmas Day. A nice walk, get lost in the city, forget about his troubles and woes…

He replied to the text with a simple smiley face and nodding emoji, before hitting back on his phone. _Should probably text mom and dad, wish them happy holidays or something…_ But when he got to his contact list, one name stood out.

 _Pyrrha Nikos…_

Jaune took a deep breath, and sighed again, watching as the warm air vanished into the cold. _I… I should really say something._ But what was he supposed to say? 'Hi, how are you? I saw your latest commercial! Pumpkin Pete rules!' Or maybe, 'So I know things ended kind of poorly between us, but how are you? Want to spend New Years together again?'

Yeah, there was really no way of talking to Pyrrha without things being awkward. Not to mention she was busy being a television star, and probably just wouldn't have time for him.

Jaune sighed and relaxed his arm, letting it dangle at his side as he began to walk again. The cold air of Vale stung his nostrils, but it was refreshing in a way. Same way a pinch can feel nice. Reminds you you're awake.

He could practically hear Ren and Nora worrying about him. He'd been staying with the two ever since he and Pyrrha broke up. Jaune didn't have nearly enough money to support himself in a decent place, so the two opened up their house to him. Jaune got a couch to sleep on, a place to eat, a place to be himself…

It was nice. It was better than nice, it was one of the nicest things anyone could have ever done for Jaune. Ren and Nora were amazing to him, better than he deserved, honestly. He knew housing a third person wouldn't be easy on their lives, but they still did it.

 _I should really get them something nice when they get back,_ he realized. He thought about what to get them as he remembered a text he received last night. He pulled out his phone and quickly found the number of Hazel Rainart.

Come on, _pick up, pick up, pick up…_

Jaune had been working at Hazel's Pizzeria for over a year now. It wasn't a bad job. The pay was decent for what it was, and being a driver meant he got to listen to a lot of music in the car. Hazel was just kind of...intense.

"What do you want, Arc?"

"H-hey, Hazel! How's your Christmas? You and your sister doing okay?"

"Gretchen and I are fine. Is there a point to this call, Arc?" He already sounded annoyed with Jaune.

"S-sorry. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. I just wanted to ask if you still needed a driver for New Years?"

"Be there from four to one," Hazel didn't sound like Jaune had many options as he flinched slightly.

"Nine hours? Sorry, I was just hoping to be out in time for the count-"

Hazel ended the call before Jaune could even finish. The blond sighed, but reminded himself that the money would be good that night. Hopefully he could do something nice for Ren and Nora, maybe treat them to a nice dinner or buy some games for their Playstation.

Jaune returned to his walk, enjoying the city's atmosphere. He told himself everything was going to be okay, that things were going to work out, but there was a nagging in his own head that just wouldn't go away.

He missed how things used to be, he realized. It wasn't a shocking revelation, or anything. He missed having a girlfriend to come home to. He missed the company. Ren and Nora were amazing, the greatest friends he'd ever have, but he wasn't blind. He was the third wheel.

And he knew Ren and Nora had to put on a show for him. The two were madly in love with one another, and they had to keep their hands off each other so they didn't rub Jaune's new single status in his face. The two were nuts for each other, the kind of love that other couples dreamed about having.

Jaune hated getting in their way.

 _Nora's right. I got to get back in the dating field. I've been mooching off them for too damn long._ He dug his fingers into his palms and took another breath of the cold, winter air. _No more feeling sorry for yourself, Jaune! You got to get back in the game! In fact, I'm going to talk to the next woman I see!_

Jaune lifted his head up high and grinned, only to immediately freeze as he saw a woman approaching him. The woman had two very distinct features about her. Her hair, which was a stark white. So white, that Jaune had just thought it was covered in snow, but no. She really did just have white hair.

She certainly wasn't old, sure, a few years his senior, but she was very attractive. Of course, that led to the second thing he noticed about her. Her police uniform.

"Ah… Heh. M-ma'am," he greeted, holding up his hand to wave at the officer. Her blue eyes glared at him, before she gave him the subtlest of nods. _Next year. First girl I see, next year…_

The cold air blew against his body as he sighed. _Merry Christmas, me._

* * *

Ruby kept her eyes on the TV, but her mind was far away. It was a trick she had learned growing up with her alternates. She kept a loose hold on her body as her mind retreated deep within the recesses of itself, far from Yang and the others.

To put it into perspective, it was like someone locking themselves in a room to be alone. As far as Ruby knew, Blake, Weiss, and Yang each had their own. A little corner of the brain where the others couldn't hear their thoughts.

Ruby imagined it was as close to normal as she would ever get. She entered her Room, and watched as the white walls inside were painted, and furniture just materialized around her. Each Room was controlled by whoever owned it. It was as simple as imagining what it looked like.

The young woman sat on a sofa and sighed, melting into the soft cushion as she stared up at the ceiling. Ruby's Room was a carbon copy of her own apartment, down to the TV and the scratches on the floor. The only real difference between her Room and reality was that she was actually alone, and for a time, that was all she wanted.

The time had long passed, though.

 _I should give Sun a call,_ she thought to herself. She saw memories of herself and her childhood friend play on the TV, and she smiled at them. He had been a good friend to her, even after she explained her condition to him.

She wanted to take control of her hand to grab her phone, only to relinquish it as another memory played on the television. Sun's face glared at her, screaming at her as his voice bounced around the empty room.

" _What is your problem?!"_ Sun screamed at her. Ruby covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut as he only grew louder and more enraged. _"Why don't you go back to your goddamn boyfriend, and leave me the hell alone!"_

"Stop it!" Ruby shouted, and the sound of static silenced Sun. She opened her eyes and glared at the static-filled TV screen. "Damn it," she muttered, sitting up.

She could hear it in the air. Little voices trying to reach her through the static. She heard Sun's voice, but there were others. She squeezed her eyes shut again as she tried to ignore them, but they just wouldn't shut up.

And with the voices came more memories as the static shifted. She opened her eyes and she saw her father's eyes glaring at her through the television. His voice, his memory stung her ears.

"She wasn't well, Ruby, and neither are you. You have to stop talking to them. They're not real, and-"

"Shut up," Ruby hissed.

She saw her mother's face, screaming as men dragged her out the door. She was just a child as she watched them pull on her mother's arms, her father standing in front of her. "Tai, what are you doing?! Tell them I'm not sick! Tell them!" Ruby saw her father turn his head away, and she saw tears in her mother's eyes as the men pulled her away.

"Shut up…!" She stood up, glaring at the TV.

"It's okay. I've got you." Adam stroked her head, holding her as she wiped her tears against his chest. "Everything's going to be okay. I'll never leave you, Ruby." His voice used to sound so comforting. She remembered believing every word he said. "I love you."

"Shut up!" Ruby screamed, and the TV screen cracked, leaving nothing but a low hum echoing in her Room. She took long, deep breaths as she glared at the TV. She fell back onto the couch and sighed.

Nothing felt right. Ruby had been feeling this way for months now, but she buried it behind a smile. She couldn't let Yang and the others know. Ruby buried her face in her hands, trying to calm down as that familiar feeling fell on her shoulders.

It was like everything was numb. Like everything in her mind was just a big… 'blah.' School, home, life just melted together. She felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life. Her father, her friends, everyone important in her life was back at Patch, and even then, most of them hated her.

Moving to Vale was supposed to be a new start, but Ruby didn't know where to begin. Yang told her that everything was okay, that their life was good, but Ruby felt like crap. Nothing felt like it mattered, nothing felt right.

Everything just made her feel sick to her stomach.

Maybe it was just the realization, years overdue, that she was a freak. That having voices in her head made her a weirdo, made her sick, like her mother. Maybe it was just knowing how alone she was in the city, surrounded by thousands of people. Even with the voices in her head, she felt alone…

A loud ringing tore her from her thoughts, and sent her back to reality. She saw her phone vibrating as Yang's voice called out to her.

" _Ruby? You okay?"_

"Y-yeah, I'm alright." Ruby had gotten good at lying to herself over the years. Practice made perfect, after all. She quickly picked up her phone and looked at the caller ID. "It's Neon." The name sent a groan of annoyance echoing through Ruby's Room.

It wasn't that Ruby disliked Neon, but the girl really was more Yang's friend than hers. Ruby had only talked to the girl a few times, and each time had been unbearably awkward. The first time had been especially awkward as Ruby tried to figure out why the stranger was talking to her, but thankfully Yang stepped in before things got too awkward.

When Ruby asked, Yang explained that she had met Neon at a club one night and the two had hit it off. Considering how flirtatious the woman had been, Ruby couldn't help wondering what their first meeting had really been like. Ruby had no way of looking at Yang's memories unless the alt allowed her to, and asking felt rude, so… Ruby just had to deal with the fact that her alternate personality had more friends than she did.

" _Great, her,"_ groaned Weiss, making no effort to hide her annoyance.

" _Green is such a bad color on you, Weiss-cream. Can I talk to her, Ruby?"_ The woman nodded her head, and she closed her eyes.

Switching in and out was one of the first things Ruby had to learn growing up. It was a funny sensation losing control of your own body, becoming less aware of your own surroundings. Ruby could have returned to her Room, but instead she laid somewhere in their consciousness, listening and watching through her, now Yang's, senses.

"What's up, Neon?" Yang greeted. Ruby could feel her lips move, but it wasn't her speaking. Her lips curved into a smile, but she wasn't smiling…

"Hey, girl! How ya been? What are you up to? Oh, and Merry Christmas!"

"You too, Neon, and nothing much. Just…" Ruby could feel the hesitation in their throat. "-hanging out with family."

"That's awesome! Oh, I'd love to hang with your family! How long are they staying? Maybe I can-"

"Sorry, Neon. Everyone's leaving tonight. You know, work and stuff." It was a lie, obviously, but they didn't know what else to say. Ruby felt around her mind, wondering if Weiss and Blake were listening to the conversation or if they had gone back to their own Rooms.

"Aww, that's such a drag! Well, fine, cause your parents probably wouldn't want to hear what I'm about to tell you. This sorority one of my girlfriends are in is having this awesome party for New Years, and you so totally have got to come! We can totally count down together and stuff!"

Ruby had remembered asking her sister if Neon was trying to flirt with the Yang part of Ruby's mind. Yang just brushed it off as just being part of Neon's partygirl character. Considering how touchy-feely the girl could get, Ruby was somewhat glad Neon wasn't her friend…

"Come on, Yang! Can't blow me off this time! We are ringing in the New Year together, and we're doing it with booze and music!" Neon cheered.

"That sounds… uh…" Yang hesitated again, and Ruby knew why. Going to a party meant they were all going to a party. The four had gone out together in the past, but they always made a strict rule about parties and clubs. Yang was only even allowed to go to one once a month, with Ruby and the others not caring much for that kind of scene. "I got to help my folks, be right back!"

" _Hello? Anyone listening?"_ Yang's voice asked. It took a concentrated effort for any of their voices to echo loud enough in their mind for the others to hear.

" _Right here, Yang,"_ Ruby replied. The two waited for a moment for the other alts to speak up, but there was only silence in their mind. _"Guess Blake and Weiss went to their Rooms…"_

" _Great,"_ sighed Yang. _"So, what are you thinking, sis?"_

 _What do you think I'm thinking?_ Ruby thought, something she had to be careful with. Mental conversation and just thinking to herself was a fine line. Actually talking to Yang and the others took conscious effort, so Yang shouldn't have been able to hear her worry.

Ruby just didn't like parties. They were uncomfortable, awkward, and everyone expected her to dance, which made her look stupid. She wouldn't know anyone at the party, and she'd probably just let Yang steer their body for that night.

" _I mean, you can go if you want, Yang. I'm not going to stop you."_

" _Well, maybe… you should steer for part of it."_

" _What?!"_ Ruby felt their eyes widen, actually widen as she heard the suggestion. _Are you crazy?_ Of course she was, Ruby was crazy, so ergo Yang was crazy, but their Dissociative Identity Disorder had nothing to do with what Yang was suggesting!

" _Come on, Rubes! We've lived in Vale for months now, and how many friends have you made for yourself?"_

" _Well-"_

" _Zero. So maybe this'll be good for you, know what I mean?"_

 _Classic Yang…_ Ruby loved her childhood friend and sister, but Yang was the kind of teacher that believed in pushing someone into the water to learn how to swim. Either Ruby would learn, or she'd drown. _Oh man… "We should probably ask Blake and We-"_

"I'll be there, Neon! You can come pick me up, right?"

"You know it, girl! See ya then!"

Yang ended the call, just in time for Ruby to scream into their skull. _"Yang!"_

"What? Come on, Ruby. You can't pull one off of your big sis. I know you've been feeling lonely,"Yang commented, causing Ruby to curse to herself quietly. Yang really could read her like a book. "A party's the perfect place to make friends of your own!"

" _Wait, y-you're putting me in control for the party?!"_

"Eeyup!" Yang dusted her hands together, clearly proud of throwing her sister to the wolves. "It'll be fine. Don't worry about thanking me, sis. Just have a good time."

" _I… You…"_ Ruby couldn't find the words. Yes, she wanted to make friends of her own, but at a party? With drinking? And dancing? And drunk people?! Ruby groaned as Yang turned the movie back on and allowed Ruby back in the driving seat.

She took control of her body as she let out a long sigh. She already dreading the start of the new year.

 _Here's to another year…_

 **END**

And here begins a story I've long wanted to write… even if I'm about 13 months off from when I hoped to release it. Oops.

A story about mental disorders, family, love, and growing up. Ruby Rose has DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, and Weiss, Yang, and Blake are her alternate personalities. What that is exactly and how it affects her life will be further explained as the story goes, as will her history with her father, Adam, and Jaune's own personal trials.

I do make a strong effort to portray DID realistically, while still taking liberties to make a good story. I have a friend who knows more about the disorder than I do, so I talk to her a lot about it.

Also, this story is very alternate universe. The very core concept means that certain characters won't be as you know them. Weiss, Yang, and Blake are personality states, Hazel never lost his sister (no Grimm), Tai is a mix of Ghira, Jacques, and the canon Tai, and… Well, you'll find out more as the story goes on.

But I don't want to bore you with my rambling! I hope you enjoy this wonderful story, and I hope you stick with it! Leave a review, it gives me fuel to keep my writing! And please, favorite and follow if you'd like to.

Take care, be strong, and look forward to the next chapter where Ruby and Jaune meet.


	2. A Spark of Something New

**A Spark of Something New**

The new year was just hours away, and the city of Vale was already in a festive spirit. The streets were crowded with tourists and Vale's own population as everyone prepared to usher in the new year. Ruby stood on the sidewalk outside her apartment, pulling on her coat as the cold wind blew.

The streets were crowded as people walked by her, some wearing comically large hats, or silly '2018' shaped glasses, while others just stumbled by on the arm of their drunken friends, laughing up a storm. Ruby stood outside her apartment, glancing from one end of the street to the other, waiting for Neon to pick her up.

 _Damn it, Yang…_ Ruby let out a loud sigh. The young woman wasn't sure what was worst. That she had been pushed to go to a party, full of people she didn't know, or that she was stuck doing it alone.

Yes, Ruby had wanted some things to herself, but being stuck in a party full of drunk people? That was like getting a dentist's appointment all to herself…

A loud honk made her jump, and Ruby lifted her head up to find a hot pink car parked in front of her. The automobile had a gaudy, pixelated rainbow painted on the side as the driver rolled down the window and waved at her.

"Hey, girl! Get in! It's par-tay time!" Neon beamed, her orange hair bobbing up and down as she rocked her head to the music on the radio.

"Um… Right. Hey, Neon," the young woman greeted, opening the door to step inside. She sat beside Neon as the car took off like a rocket. "Whoa!"

Ruby had never been in Neon's car before, so she had never experienced the young woman's driving skills, or lack thereof. Yang was an adrenaline junkie, and while Ruby could enjoy a fair share of excitement, the swerves and near crashes were quickly becoming too much for her.

"So, what's up, girl? I feel like it's been forever since we partied together!"

"Yeah… Sorry, just been busy with school, and Christmas, and… stuff," Ruby replied, trying to dig herself into her chair for safety.

"That sounds lame. We have got to hit up the club or something together. I feel like we rarely ever get to."

"Sorry, Neon," Ruby apologized, shrugging her shoulder as her hands clung to her seatbelt. A car honked at them as Neon drove them through traffic, slipping between cars.

As if her driving wasn't already crazy, Neon took her eyes off the road and stared Ruby with a raised brow. "You okay, Rubes? You sound, y'know, off."

 _Damn it, Yang!_ Ruby tried to put on a wide grin, crossing her arms as she quickly thought. _Okay, she's used to hanging out with Yang. Just act like Yang. Channel your inner Yang._ "Uh, you know me. I'm awesome! Uhh… I'm just super excited for this party! Ruby-cited, that is!"

Neon stared at Ruby, eyes wide as they swerved around another car. Meanwhile, Ruby was mentally screaming so loud, she was shocked that Weiss didn't tell her to be quiet. _What was that?!_.

Ruby could practically see Neon calling the crazy police on her, but instead the young woman just snorted and began to laugh, slapping her knee with one hand as the other turned the car around the corner.

"That's my girl! OMG, you are the best, Ruby!"

"Ha… Uh, thanks?" Ruby thanked her lucky stars as Neon bought her act. The car came to a stop, and the dark-haired woman had never been so thankful for red lights before.

"So, considering you didn't bring a plus one, I'm guessing you don't have anyone in mind for when the ball drops?" Neon teased, a cattish grin forming on her lips.

"Huh? Oh, right. That," sighed Ruby. The young woman hadn't kissed anyone since Adam. Just the idea of kissing someone made her feel slightly nauseous.

"You know, if you ever need a partner for that, you could ask me. Better hurry and make your reservation though, before someone else snatches me away." Neon kissed the air, before the car took off again.

The truck's horn blared as Ruby was crushed against her car seat. The dark-haired woman glanced at Neon, wondering if she acted this way around Yang a lot. _She's… really flirty,_ she thought.

Ruby wished she could know more about Yang and Neon's relationship, unfortunately there were holes in her memory. She had no idea what her alternates did when they were in control, unless she was actively trying to listen in.

The same worked for Ruby too though. She had a degree of privacy, since all the others were in their respective Rooms. Unfortunately, she was still stuck going to a party full of people she didn't know. She fought back a groan. She really wasn't looking forward to the party, but maybe she could make it work.

* * *

Ruby and Neon made it to the party sooner than the young woman thought, then again, maybe she shouldn't have so surprised considering Neon's driving… Either way, once the car was parked Neon hopped out and practically yanked Ruby out of the car and towards a large house.

It was exactly the kind of party that's always in movies. A bunch of young people on the front lawn of the house, holding red, plastic cups full of beer. A table dragged outside so people could play beer pong. People talking and laughing and feeling up each other. The exact kind of setting that Ruby felt out of place in. Neon dragged Ruby into the home, and the dark-haired introvert began to truly feel small.

The house was warm, making Ruby suddenly feel hot under her jacket, or maybe that was just a side effect of her blushing cheeks. People filled the house, some of them glancing to look at the two women that had just walked in. Ruby felt like she was on a stage, and she wondered if they expected her to do something. Maybe they could see just how out of place Ruby was feeling.

Neon was completely oblivious to her friend's anxiety, beaming as she threw up her hand to greet everyone. "What's up, party people?! Happy New Years!" she laughed, throwing her jacket onto a nearby chair. All she wore was a light blue tank top as she turned her head. "Rubes, I'm going to get us some drinks! Meet you out back?"

"Uh, r-right." Ruby watched as Neon skipped away, melting into the party without any effort. The dark-haired woman gulped, swallowing down her fears as stared at everyone. _I got this… I got this. I got this._

"I love you!" a man suddenly screamed, and before Ruby knew what was happening, a large man pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight, lifting her off of the floor. "Happy first, happy first, happy first!" he sang, bouncing her back and forth.

Ruby had to fight the urge to gag. His breath reeked of alcohol, and what Ruby assumed was, weed. He then dropped her and stumbled out, laughing as he swung his jacket in the air, complete with helicopter noises.

The dark-haired woman laid on the ground, eyes wide as several other drunks laughed at the man. A couple of people chased after the 'helicopter' man as Ruby came to an unfortunate realization. _I don't got this…_

* * *

New Years' Eve was one of the craziest nights for 'Hazel's Pizzeria.' Jaune had never worked on the day until now, but he had heard horror stories from his co-workers. Those stories didn't do it justice.

Jaune was racing back and forth between houses, apartments, and the store. There wasn't a single chance for a break. When he was at the store, he helped prepare the pizzas, before Hazel practically threw a bag at him and pushed him out with an address on the receipt. Jaune would then race to deliver the pizzas to the, usually intoxicated, customer.

It wasn't a spectacular job, but it paid the bills.

Jaune glanced at the clock inside his car and sighed quietly. Midnight was just a couple of hours away. He remembered how he, and his group of friends would count down together. Ever since they were little kids, they rang in the new year together. Now he was stuck celebrating it all by himself.

The blond driver groaned, shaking his head. He had to get his mind out of the past and focus on what he was doing. He had a job to do. He parked his car and slammed the door behind him as he walked back to the store. He barely got a foot in as Hazel pushed a bag into the driver's arms.

"Out," he ordered, shoving Jaune back to the door. "And don't forget the sodas."

"Right." Jaune grunted at the heavy weight of the heavy bag. There had to have been four, maybe five large pizzas in there. Jaune swallowed down his annoyance and carried the bag to his car, before running back inside to get the sodas.

 _You got this,_ he told himself. He took a deep breath and turned on some music, smiling. _I got this._ He looked at the address on the receipt, and his heart sank along with the corners of his lips. He knew the address. It was easily one of the worst possible deliveries he could have gotten.

Brawnz Ni was an ass. The man always complained about how long it took to deliver to him, despite the fact that everyone, even Hazel, warned him it would take a while because of how far he was, and he always accused the store of getting his order wrong. Brawnz would then demand a new, fresher pizza be brought to him.

Jaune was pretty sure he was just trying to get free pizza, and unfortunately that plan almost always worked. The blond rolled his eyes, sighing as he drove his car to the destination. _I probably got this…_

Who knows? Maybe Jaune would be lucky, and Brawnz was feeling nice.

* * *

Ruby stood in the backyard of the house, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She did her best to hide behind the punch table, watching as everyone danced to the music playing, and if they weren't dancing they were talking to their friends, of which Ruby had zero.

 _Come on, just talk to someone. Say something!_ Ruby ordered herself.

"Hey! I didn't think you'd make it! What's up, girl?!" The dark-haired woman turned her head to find three older girls walking towards her. Each of them was grinning and waving at her.

 _Do I know them? Are they more of Yang's friends?_ Ruby lifted up her arm to wave at them, putting on her best smile. "H-hey! What are you-?"

"Like I'd miss this party!" Another girl ran pass Ruby, and she hugged one of the women, laughing along with them.

Ruby slapped her hand against her forehead and groaned. She sank down, reasoning that hiding under the punch table would be less painful than trying to socialize.

"Ouch. That had to hurt," a voice laughed. Ruby blinked, and glanced over the table to see a young man walking towards her. "And yes, I am talking to you."

"Oh. Good," she muttered, slowly standing back up.

The man had slicked back hair that looked almost blue in the light. He was also tall, towering over her in his black shirt and pants. Silver bracelets bounced on his wrists as he offered a drink to Ruby.

"I'm Sky. What's your name?"

"Ruby." She glanced at the red cup, before turning her eyes to several, clearly drunk, partygoers. They were currently grinding against each other, chortling about some bad joke. "Uhh, I'm good."

"It's just punch," he replied. "Tropical." He smiled at her, blue eyes shining as she glanced at it again.

"Oh. Thanks." She took the drink from Sky and sipped at it, tasting the fruity sweetness on her tongue. It was a breath of fresh air from the strong scent of liquor in the air. She glanced at Sky, noticing his eyes were still on her. _Oh. Right. Social interaction._ "So… uh… H-how're you?"

Sky chuckled at her stutter, shrugging his shoulder lazily. "Alright. Lame party, huh?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Only here cause my friend dragged me along."

"Really?" Ruby blinked, taking another sip of her drink. "I know that feeling… My-" She hesitated, searching for the word as she avoided Sky's eyes. "My friend really thinks I need to get out of the house, and make new friends. I mean, I know I do, but it's just… hard."

"Tell me about it," Sky agreed. "Hey, you okay? You look a little hot under that coat."

"Huh?" Ruby touched her cheek, and it felt surprisingly warm. "Yeah. Probably just hot…" The young woman began to take her coat off, leaving her in the red and black dress that Yang had picked out for her. She looked for a place to leave it, before Sky offered his hand to her. "Oh. Thanks."

"No problem. So, having a hard time making friends?"

"Yeah," she sighed, her hand still rubbing her cheek. _Why am I so hot?_ She downed her drink, hoping the cool punch would help her. Instead it only seemed to make her feel warmer. She groaned as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, smacking her tongue against the inside of her mouth.

"How about a boyfriend?"

"What?" Ruby shook her head, feeling strangely lightheaded as Sky's hand pulled the empty cup from her hand and dropped it on the ground. "Wait, h-hold on." She stepped back, her head feeling heavy on her shoulders. She rubbed her forehead as Sky walked closer to her.

His hand squeezed her wrist, pulling her closer as he smiled at her. "You're meant to be with me, my beloved." Ruby lifted up her head, and she saw Adam staring back at her, licking his teeth as he moved in for a kiss.

"No!" Ruby's fist slammed into Adam's cheek, knocking him into the table and freeing her hand. She stumbled away from his fallen bdoy, holding her head as her leg refused to move right. Her legs felt weak, but she was still able to drag them after her.

"Hey! Damn it, don't you dare walk away from me?!" Ruby turned behind her, and she saw Sky glaring at her.

 _Where did he go?!_ She thought, searching for Adam's red hair. Sky reached for her shoulder, but she pushed his arm away and slammed her fist into his chin, sending him into the table again.

"Don't walk away from me, my love," Adam hissed, rising back up from the blow, wiping blood from his lip. "Why do you keep wanting to hurt me?"

"Leave me alone!" Ruby screamed, running from Adam, pushing someone out of her way. She ran to the house, then through it, before pushing her way out of the front door. She stumbled, but she kept running until she was on the sidewalk outside.

She turned to look at the house, terrified that Adam was going to be standing there, waiting for her, only for her eyes to widen. She wasn't outside the house. She wasn't sure where she was. She stared at an apartment building, small crowds of people walking around her.

 _No, I was just there. I-I was just there!_ She looked down the street, not recognizing any of the buildings or signs. She stared at the passing faces, seeing only strangers walking by. She was panting, head burning as she tried to figure out where she was.

 _Yang?!_ No answer. _Blake?! Weiss?! Anyone?!_ She screamed into her mind, before squeezing her eyes tight and focusing. She had to reach them in their rooms. They had to be there. But her psyche felt so small. Memories bled out of the cracks as she stumbled in the mist that filled her head.

No one answered. She couldn't reach them. She couldn't even reach her own room. She could still feel Adam's hand on her, squeezing her, still feel his teeth against her neck. She reached for her phone, but all she felt was air.

 _My coat? Where's my coat?!_ Ruby patted her body, realizing all she was wearing was some dress. _Where did it go?!_ Her heart raced. Her coat had her keys, her phone, and her wallet, meaning she had nothing.

 _How am I going to get home…?_ Her silver eyes combed the city as her heart raced, and her eyes widened. _W-where am I? This doesn't look like Patch…_ Nothing looked like the small town she called home. _Dad… Got to get to dad. Find your bearings, Ruby…_

She quickly approached a woman walking by. Ruby opened her mouth and tried to talk to her, but her tongue felt clumsy, dry, and too big for her mouth. She shook her head, forcing her voice to come out.

"D-do you know where Signal High is?"

"Signal? Never heard of it," the woman replied, shaking her head. "Sorry." She pushed Ruby out of her way, walking away without another word.

 _N-no Signal? Not in Patch. Definitely not in Patch… Then where am I?_ She held her head, trying to remember, but nothing made sense. She remembered being at home with mom and dad. They were talking about… something. Then someone gave her a drink, and… and she started running.

Ruby jumped as a loud horn blared at her, watching the cars race by her. She shook head, walking away down the sidewalk as she tried to think. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt right. Where was Yang?! And Blake?!

Ruby walked down the unfamiliar sidewalk, taking slow, deep breaths as the cold wind chilled her naked arms…

* * *

Turns out Brawnz was not feeling generous today. In fact, Jaune had never seen the guy so pissed. The man was clearly drunk, and as soon as Jaune had showed up on his doorstep, Brawnz began to yell and scream at him.

He was upset about how long the delivery took, upset at the price, and just… upset. After insulting Jaune's mother for few seconds, and promising to give Hazel a call, Brawnz demanded Jaune leave, leaving the blond with four large pizzas, six liters of soda, and wings. All unpaid.

"Great," he sighed, sitting in his car. He was parked by the sidewalk, and he watched as cars raced by; all of their drivers probably eager to celebrate the new year.

Jaune's eyes turned away from the passing cars, and he saw something that caught his eyes. It was a girl in a vibrant red dress. She stood out in the city's cooler colors, like a red boat in the ocean. The dress was enough to catch Jaune's attention, it was seeing what she was doing that made him step out of his car.

She was sitting on a bench, crying. She was clearly upset, and Jaune couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew he had to go help her.

Nora and Ren always did say he had a bad problem of making other people's problem his own. But what was he supposed to do? The girl was sobbing! He couldn't ignore her. So he got out of his car and started walking towards her.

"Hey." He awkwardly held out his hand to her, trying to put on his best smile. "I'm Jaune. Do you need some help?"

She stared at him, and Jaune noticed several things about the woman. He thought her hair was black when he first saw it, but now he realized it was actually a dark shade of red that grew brighter at the tips. Her eyes were a bright silver, something he had never seen before. Finally, it was only when he was right in front of her did he realize how small the woman was. She was just so short…

"I-" She hesitated to answer, looking down the street as she bit her lower lip. "I don't know where I am." She sounded completely terrified. He sat on the other side of the bench as he pointed at a nearby sign.

"Well, there's Houston Street. That's Canal Street. If you go right on Houston, you'll end up crossing with Emerald Street. The Emerald State Park is on there. Does that help?"

She stared at him with strained, confused eyes. Jaune scratched his neck as he apologized. "Sorry. You must be from out of town, right? Can you tell me your hotel? I can probably give you directions to it."

Her eyes fell down to her knees, her lips pressed tightly together. "I… I'm not sure," she muttered.

 _Oh. Crap..._ Jaune fought to keep the worry from reaching his voice as he pulled his smile tighter. "Oh. I see. Well, let's start off with something else than. You know my name, what's yours?" _Please know your name, please know your name, please know your name_.

She said nothing at first, before she let out a quiet answer. He almost didn't hear her over the sound of passing cars. "Ruby Rose..."

"Ruby," he repeated. "Okay, Ruby, do you want to tell me what happened? I saw you crying… Maybe I can help?"

The dark-haired woman nodded her head, placing a hand on her forehead as she thought. "I-I was at a party. Someone gave me a drink," she slowly recalled. "Then I started feeling…" She moved her free hand in the air, trying to find the word, but Jaune had heard enough.

"Oh." Of course Jaune had heard about guys drugging girls at parties, but he never thought he'd be helping one of those girls. "Okay. It's going to be okay," he promised, holding up his hand. "Um… How about we call someone? L-like your parents? Yeah, h-how's that?" He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, holding it out to her. "Here, you can use mine."

She was quiet. Jaune had no idea what to do. He knew he had to help, but he had never been with a woman who had been drugged before. Calling her parents was the first good idea that popped into his head, and it was all he probably could do.

Ruby stared at his phone, taking it slowly as she stared at the screen. She shook her head slowly, lifting a hand to brush hair from her eyes. Her eyes widened as she suddenly looked at her bangs, staring at them. "It's different…"

"Huh?"

"My hair looks different," she muttered. She turned her head to look at him, and he did his best to give a comforting smile. He didn't want her to see how scared he was. He refused to be a burden to her while she needed help.

"Are… are you a pizza guy?" she asked, pointing at his uniform. Jaune looked down at his bright green jacket, and the pizza symbol on his chest. His cheeks turned a light red as he chuckled.

"Uh, yeah."

"Can I have some pizza?"

* * *

Ruby took in the scent of the pizza, before taking her first bite. She savored the salty taste of cheese, bread, and meat with closed eyes. The blond guy, Jaune, stared at her as he leaned against his car, holding the pizza box.

"How is it? Good?" She nodded her head, licking her lips.

"Yeah," she replied. "Thanks, Jaune."

"No problem. So, how's about we call your mom and dad now?" he suggested.

Ruby bit into her pizza again, avoiding his cerulean eyes. Just hearing those words was enough to remind her of… something. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't remember what it was. All she could remember was fear. A fear that her parents weren't going to pick up…? Or was she afraid of her parents? Neither idea made sense to Ruby. She loved her mom and dad, and they loved her.

Why would she be afraid of them?

She tried to remember where her parents were, but the memories were so foggy. Dad was in Patch. He'd never leave the small town. Mom was... Ruby wasn't sure where her mother was.

"Can't," she muttered.

"Can't? Why not?" She didn't answer quickly, and her eyes widened as he asked, "Are you a runaway?"

"No!" She wiped her mouth with her arm, shaking her head. "I'm not. My dad knows I'm here. Mom…" Where was her mom? Ruby ground her teeth together as she tried to remember, but she just kept drawing a blank.

It was like her memories were a library, and someone had just knocked all the bookcases down. Her memories were there, but it was impossible to find the right one. She remembered being at a party, being given a drink, running away, and now she was here with a nice pizza guy.

 _Okay, Ruby. It's okay. Just… go over what you know._ Dad was in Patch. Ruby lived in Patch, but clearly she wasn't there right now. So where was she now?

"Hey, are you okay?" Jaune waved his hand in front of her face, bringing her back to reality.

"I-I'm fine. What city is this?" she questioned, looking up at the tall buildings around her. She didn't want to look at the man, knowing he'd probably think she was crazy.

"Vale," he answered, with surprisingly little resistance.

"Vale…?" _Mom's hometown? W-what am I doing here? Do I live here? Why can't I remember anything?!_ Memories bubbled in her mind, and her silver eyes widened as voices whispered in her head.

She was remembering something. Her mother's voice. Her father holding Ruby back. Men were dragging her mother away...

"Look, Ruby, I really think we should call the cops, or someone. I mean, I'm pretty sure you were drugged, and-"

 _"Please, let me go! I'm not crazy!"_ Summer was pushed towards the car as she turned her head to stare at her husband. Ruby stood by her father's side, unable to speak, unable to do anything as her mother was restrained. _"Tai, help me!"_ There were tears in her eyes.

Ruby whimpered at the memories, almost dropping her food to the ground as her hand rubbed her head. "No! N-no cops. Please." She took slow, deep breaths as she remembered where her mother was. It came back suddenly, like a brick through glass. Summer Rose was put in an asylum by her husband, Ruby's father, Tai Rose.

"Ruby? What is it? What's wrong?" Jaune reached a hand out to her, but she stepped back, shaking her head as she put the plate of pizza onto his car.

"I'm sorry. Thank you for the food, but I have to go." She started walking away from Jaune, only for a hand to catch hers.

"Whoa! Hey, no way. You can't just leave!" he argued. His fingers were tightly wrapped around her wrist as she tried to free herself.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"You still have your job to do! So just let go and-" Ruby raised a brow as she saw Jaune reach into his pocket and take out his phone. "What are you doing?"

Jaune didn't say anything as the phone began to ring, and he pressed it against his ear. "Hi, Hazel? It's Jaune." Ruby blinked as she watched the young man glance at her. "Yeah… Sorry, but my car broke down. It won't start… I know, I know, and I'm really, really sorry, but I promise I'll make it up to you." He nodded his head, before putting the phone back into his pocket. "There. Now I'm off the clock."

Ruby's jaw hung open as she stared at the blonde man, blinking as she tried to form a question. "Why did you do that?"

"Because you clearly need help, and even if you aren't calling someone, I still want to help you. I can't just let you walk around a city you don't know! You'll get lost! Or worse!" He stared at her, his brow furrowed as he spoke. "You don't want me to call the cops? Fine. But I'm not just going to let you walk around a huge city at night!"

Her mouth finally closed itself, and she looked away from Jaune. She crossed her arms as she thought. _Maybe I am better off here. But what if he thinks I'm going crazy…_ Ruby shook her head, taking a deep breath. _It's okay. He's not going to call anyone on me. He just wants to help._ She turned her silver eyes to Jaune. "I'm really sorry for freaking out like that."

"It's okay," he replied, smiling at her. "You've had a rough night. I just want to help."

"I-I'd like the help," she nodded. She glanced at the slice of pizza, and then back at Jaune. "Can I have some more pizza?"

* * *

That was how Ruby ended up sitting in a pizza guy's car, sharing his delivery with him as he poured soda into cups for them. She quietly ate as her memories slowly came back to her, like random bits and pieces of a puzzle.

 _I live in Vale. I know I do,_ she told herself. _I think I live in an apartment?_

"So, uh… How's the pizza?"

"Oh, it's great. You sure it's okay that I have it, though?" Ruby asked, biting into the cheesy meal.

"Yeah. The guy didn't want it, so it would have just gone to waste back at the store."

"Who says no to pizza?" the woman wondered, biting into her crust.

"Right?" Jaune opened up another box, taking out a slice for himself. "This one has pineapple, if you want any."

"Bleck. Pineapple? On a pizza?" Ruby shook her head. Even in her current state, she knew that such a combination was not meant to be. She remembered her parents loved the stuff, but not her.

"What? It's good," the blond chuckled, biting into his own slice. "What some?"

"I'm good." She shook her head, returning to her own pizza, devouring the crust before reaching for another slice. An awkward silence filled the car as the two strangers just sat there, eating their food. Ruby combed through her memories, once again trying to piece together how she got here, and what she was going to do now.

 _Okay. Party… drink… city… The party was in the city too. My drink must have drugged me. Made me all… confused,_ she slowly thought. _But where do I live? I have to have a place in the city, right?_

"Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we… drive around?" Ruby's hands fell on her knees, squeezing the dress as she spoke. "I know you've already done a lot for me, b-but I'm thinking that if I see the town, I can remember where I live."

"Say no more," he replied with a smile. "Buckle up. I'm about to give you a tour of Vale!" She smiled back at him, appreciating his optimistic spirit.

 _Everything's going to be okay,_ she told herself. The young woman nodded her head, before picking up a cup of soda. She downed the sugary nectar, before smiling at her new friend. "Thanks for helping me… I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Anyone would have done it," he replied. Ruby wasn't sure how true that was, but she shrugged it off. It was just nice to not be alone.

The car came to life with a growl from the engine, and Ruby watched the buildings and apartments slowly pass them by. Almost instantly, she began to feel a sense of deja vu, like she had seen many of the buildings before. _Maybe I drove this way to the party?_ Ruby glanced at a passing building, noticing the many people filling the sidewalks and crosswalks.

The place was nothing like Patch. The sprawling towers and bright lights were a stark difference from the small, rural town she grew up in. "I grew up in a town called Patch," she explained, quietly.

"I've never been in a small town before," Jaune commented. "Lived here my whole life." He glanced at her, and her silver eyes met his for a moment. "What was it like there?"

"Boring," she quickly replied. "You probably don't want to hear about it..."

"Come on, tell me." He brought the car to a stop at a red light, relaxing in his seat as he glanced at her. "I've never been, so you could say anything and I'd probably buy it! Like, did you have to milk cows and wake up at like five or something?"

Ruby snorted at the joke, shaking her head. "No. I woke up late for school almost every day. Didn't have any cows, or dogs, or anything like that," she explained. "Mom would always get annoyed with me." She remembered her mother's face. How amazing she looked, even when she was scolding her daughter for sleeping in. "She was, like, some kind of super mom... Cook, storyteller, seamstress. She was so awesome..."

"Sounds like Mom of the Year. My mom was pretty good too, but she always left cooking to my dad," Jaune reminisced. "What about yours? What was your dad like?"

"Dad and I are... distant." She felt a fire in her fingertips. Her hands tightened into fists as she remembered the blond man. Mom was in an asylum because of him. She was trapped in a straitjacket, locked up with crazy people, all because of him. She remembered what he said when Ruby watched her mother being driven away.

 _"Things are better this way, Ruby..."_

"I'm sorry to hear that," apologized the driver, driving the car forward again. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, I was just trying to help you remember things..."

Ruby smiled at the earnest statement, and she shook her head. "No, it's okay. I think you're helping a little," she confessed. She turned to face Jaune, watching the buildings that passed through his window as something suddenly hit her. "Wait. Wait!"

"What? What?!" Jaune slowed the car to a stop, another car honking at them from behind as Ruby banged her hands against her knees in excitement.

The silver-eyed woman felt a strange familiarity with the buildings she saw on Jaune's side. She didn't live there, but they felt very familiar. Like she had walked by them for months, like she had seen them on the way to somewhere... "I-is there a school somewhere around here?!"

"Y-yeah. Beacon University?"

"Yes! Beacon! I go to Beacon!" Ruby stomped her feet against the floor of Jaune's car as memories trickled back. "I'm a student at Beacon. I study... I study..." Her smile faltered for a moment as she drew a blank. Jaune must have noticed, because he quickly tried to bring her back to reality.

"Hey, that's right! If you go to Beacon, you have to be somewhere close by, right?"

"Right. You're right. Do you know this area well?" she questioned, looking at Jaune.

"Yeah, I deliver here all the time. I know the dorms and apartments most students live in. We can drive around, see if any of them look familiar to you."

"Would you mind?" Jaune's smile told her all she needed to know, and she beamed as her hands landed on his. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she shouted, bouncing in her seat.

"Ah! Driving, Ruby!"

"Oops! Sorry!"

* * *

Jaune had the sense that he felt almost as relieved as Ruby did. They had something. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to point them in the right direction. He was more than happy to drive the two around the city, passing by the large apartments that many college students called home. He kept to himself for the most part, letting Ruby stare at the buildings and think.

 _Please, please, please,_ Jaune thought to himself, only to frown as Ruby sighed.

"No. That's not it either. Least, I don't think it is..."

"That's alright. Still a few more apartments we haven't checked. I'm sure we'll find it," he promised, keeping the smile plastered on his face. He wasn't upset, or annoyed with Ruby, but he was growing more and more scared for her. What if Beacon was a false lead? What if her home was miles from here? What were they going to do? What was Jaune supposed do?

 _I'm not abandoning her out here. Maybe I should bring up the cops again? I mean, worse comes to worse, I guess she can stay at my place. Plenty of space with Nora and Ren out..._ Jaune could feel his cheeks heating up, and he bit the inside of his cheek, scolding himself. _Come on, Arc. What the hell are you thinking? You're trying to help this girl! Inviting her to your place isn't gonna help her!_

"Wait, pull over here!" Ruby suddenly commanded. Jaune quickly obeyed, parking on the side of the road. He looked at Ruby, watching her hop out of the car, and run towards an apartment they had just passed. He quickly followed after her, standing behind her as she stared at the tall building.

"Is this it?" She didn't answer. He waited, expecting some kind out of reaction out of her, but after a whole minute of silence, he asked again. "Ruby? Do you recognize this place?"

"I... I don't know," she finally replied. "I thought it looked familiar, but I don't know."

Jaune reached for her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we'll find your place."

"What if we don't?" The question surprised the young man, and she turned towards him, eyes down to the ground. "I can't remember where I live. How am I even supposed to get inside?! I don't have my keys, my wallet, or even my phone!" She held her head, digging fingers into her scalp as she let out a long, harsh sigh. "My memories are all... jumbled. I can remember some stuff, but... What if I never get them back?"

"Hey, don't say that. I'm sure you will." Jaune felt his heart break at the sight of the poor woman. This was awful. She didn't deserve to go through this. He had to do something to help, he told himself, but he wasn't sure what he could do. "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

"I barely know you," she scoffed, but Jaune didn't care.

"I don't care. I'm not going to let you go through this alone. I'll help you, even if it takes us the rest of the year!" Ruby was silent for a moment, before she snorted, choking back a laugh.

"W-was that meant to be a joke?"

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Trying to lighten up the atmosphere, you know?" She smiled at him, wiping tears from her eyes as she nodded her head.

"Thanks," she sniffled. She looked at the apartment, and Jaune remained quiet, hoping the silence would help her. "Can we go inside?" He walked forward without a word, just a smile and a light in his blue eyes as he opened the door for her.

"Ladies' first."

* * *

Ruby walked into the apartment building, combing over the lobby as she bit into her cheek. The room looked... slightly familiar, but maybe she was just telling herself that in hopes it would jog a memory. It was a large room, with an empty front desk, and a small sitting area. The walls were a basic, dull white, with a brown, tiled floor. Nothing really stood out in the room as she tried to find something that would help her...

The two walked to the front desk, and Ruby placed her hands on the wooden table as she looked around. "Hello?" A door behind the front desk opened, and a stout man walked out, with graying hair and a maroon-colored coat. He smiled at Ruby, and she returned the gesture to the stranger, hoping he knew her.

"Ah, Ruby! Back so soon from your party?"

"Uh, Hi-!" Her eyes glanced at his name tag, before darting to look at his eyes, and the bushy, white brows above them. "-Mr. Port. I'm back! Um, I'm really sorry to bother you, but I lost my keys at the party, I was wondering if you could help me to my room?"

"Of course! You poor dear," he replied. He moved away from his desk and walked back into the room he had come from. Ruby and Jaune glanced at one another with a spark of joy and curiosity in their eyes, before Port returned. He had a small, silver-colored key in his hand. "Here you go, my dear!" Port handed her the spare key, before staring at Jaune. "And how may I help you, my boy?"

"Oh, I'm with her!" he quickly answered, pointing at Ruby.

"Right! This is my friend, Jaune! He really helped me out," the woman explained, earning another nod from the older man.

"Ah, I see. A regular knight in shining armor. Ha, I remember when I was helping young damsels out of trouble. It couldn't have been more than five years ago, I was in Brazil, and I met this fine, fine beauty named-"

"Alright, Mr. Port. Thanks for the help!" Ruby quickly grabbed Jaune's wrist, pulling him along to the elevators. The two dashed to the metal doors, and Ruby pressed the button to call their ride down to them. "There's a room number on here. 'Six hundred twenty seven.' That must be my room," she beamed, barely able to control her joy.

"Hey, told you we'd find it," Jaune grinned.

"Yeah, I guess you did." The dark-haired woman felt a warmth touch her cheeks, and her foot absent-mindedly tapped against the floor. "Thank you. I really, really owe you one."

"Hey, no problem. Happy to help."

"I'm serious! You actually might have saved my life." She tapped her foot a couple more times on the ground pondering her next words. With cheeks tinted red, she asked her, as Mr. Port put it, 'knight in shining armor.' "Hey, what time is it?"

"About fifteen minutes to midnight. Why?"

"Want to...stay here for the countdown? I mean, it'd sure beat counting down alone in your car or something." Ruby turned her eyes away from Jaune, staring at the metal doors of the elevator as she continued. "We can grab some pizza. Some soda. I mean, only if you want to."

Jaune blinked. He was clearly surprised by the offer, before he grinned. "Sure. That sounds awesome. I'll get the pizzas and meet you at your room?"

"Yeah! That sounds good to me!" Ruby watched her new friend walk away as the elevator arrived to take her up. She stepped inside, leaning against the cool wall as the elevator took her up. _Wow. Jaune's really nice. Kind of cool too._ She blinked at that thought, trying to laugh it off as her cheeks radiated warmth. _It's nice to have a friend out here, at least. If he hadn't helped me out, I never would have gotten back home..._

Home. That was a word that felt strange to Ruby. Home, to her, was Patch. She remembered sitting by the lake with her mom and dad like it was just yesterday, but it must have been years ago now. Before she moved to Vale, before her mother was put away... The memory of her mother, and the knowledge that her memory had huge gaps in it, left Ruby's stomach in knots. She shook off the feeling, and as soon as the doors opened, she walked out to find her room.

It didn't take long, and with the spare key Mr. Port gave her she opened the door and stepped inside. _I live here?_ The place wasn't half bad, honestly. She walked inside, glancing at the kitchen and living room. The two rooms were openly connected, both looking well furnished. She traced her hands on the soft couch she had, blinking in surprise. Her silver eyes darted all throughout the room, following the stairs up to where her bedroom laid, and then back down to look at her bathroom.

It was exciting. Not just running around the room, but recalling the memories. She remembered buying this couch, and asking Mr. Port to help her bring it in. She remembered telling herself she'd learn how to cook. She remembered sitting down to do homework, and rarely actually doing it. Memories flowed over her like a waterfall as she remembered so much of her life.

Ruby gazed at the large, black TV that sat in front of her couch. It sat on an equally black, wooden stand with a cupboard built inside of it. She opened it and marveled at the content inside. A couple of game consoles greeted her, plus a small library of videogames sat between them. Ruby combed over the selection with hungry eyes, grinning.

"Overwatch, Halo, Uncharted, Skyrim... Huh?" Ruby's silver eyes stopped as she noticed something that wasn't a game in the small cupboard. She found a black, leather book with a smooth, red bookmark sticking out of it. She grabbed the book and stood up, staring at it with curious eyes. There was no title on it, just a red rose painted on the front. "What's this?"

She opened the book where the bookmark laid, glancing at the text inside. _'Your name is Ruby Rose. You live in Vale. You moved there about a-'_ Ruby's train of thought was tossed aside as Jaune knocked on the door.

"Hello? Ruby?" Jaune's voice called out, before she heard him quietly mutter, "Man, I hope this is the right room..."

"Coming!" Ruby stared at the book, before running upstairs to toss it onto her bed, before running back down to open the door for Jaune. She put on a smile for him, grinning at the pizza he held in his hands. "Hey."

"Hi, I have a delivery for Ruby Rose."

She rolled her eyes, but played along as she motioned her friend inside. "That's me. What do I owe you?"

"Your company, and the rest of the Hawaiian Lovers?"

"Still gross," she teased, taking the pizza boxes from Jaune as he looked around. "But go for it."

"Wow, this is a nice place," he commented.

Ruby brushed it off with a blow of her lips. "I bet you say that to everyone you deliver to."

"I do, but I actually mean it with you." The two chuckled at his joke, before he walked over to her TV. "Can I turn the TV on for the countdown?"

"Sure." Ruby listened to Jaune mess around with her TV as she put the pizza boxes in the kitchen. She grabbed some plates, proud of herself for remembering where they were, and some napkins, before walking to the blond man. He was currently looking through her library of games with a grin on his face. "Having fun turning on the TV?" she teased

"Sorry! This is just a really cool selection of games! You play a lot of Overwatch?" he asked, holding up the game.

"Yep." Her face lit up, eyes sparkling as the memories came easy to her. "Widowmaker main." She pretended to wield a sniper rifle in her hands, aiming it at Jaune's head. "Von shot, von keel."

"Were you just trying to do a French accent?" Ruby blushed as she put down her sniper rifle, scratching at the back of her head. "I'm more of a fan of 'precise German engineering!" Jaune declared, raising a fist as he did his best to imitate a German accent, coming off as authentic as Ruby did. The two laughed at their impersonations, before the voices outside began to scream out.

Jaune looked at his phone, eyes widening as he looked at Ruby. "It's almost time for the countdown!"

"I got it!" Ruby quickly grabbed her phone and turned on the TV, switching it a channel that had the people of Vale counting down in Times Square. She quickly sat down as Jaune grabbed them both some pizza slices.

Some famous musician had just finished his song, just when people were starting to get ready. There was barely a couple minutes left as Ruby and Jaune smiled at each other. They saw people dancing on the street, crowds of excited faces, confetti, party hats, and, of course, happy couples making out before the ball even fell. Like a thunderous wave, the whole city began to count as one of the buildings began to show a clock on their jumbotron screen.

"Ten!" the voices outside, and inside, began. "Nine!"

"Hey, Ruby?" Jaune quickly looked at Ruby, his blue eyes shining as she turned to face him.

"Huh?"

"Thanks for inviting me."

There was something in Jaune's voice, and his smile, that made Ruby happy. It was a strange little spark, but she almost felt like she could understand it. Despite everything that had happened that night, Ruby returned the smile. "No problem, Jaune."

"Two! One!"

Ruby and Jaune both stood up, pizza in hand as the air in the room practically sizzled with electricity. They watched the iridescent orb fall down, fireworks go off, and people cheer as they both shouted.

"Happy New Year!"

 **END**

I love how Jaune and Ruby met. Ruby was lonely and in trouble, and Jaune helped her. I will always try to keep that way of meeting between them, because damn it, it is sweet!

So, an important part of Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID, is the dissociating. What does that mean? It means Ruby, during certain stressful parts of her life, won't completely understand what's happening in reality, or even if it is happening to her. Different people dissociate in different ways. Ranging from disorientation to amnesia, and anything in between. Ruby being drugged by Sky caused her to dissociate, that's why she suddenly couldn't remember the last few years of her life. I even tried to imply she forgot about her alternates during her time with Jaune. Typically, not all alternates know about one another. I just have Ruby know about the three, and visa versa, for simplicity's sake. Easier to write that way.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a friendly review. They're the gas that keeps this old tank running.

Finally, an important announcement: Do you like my writing? Do you want me to write more and deliver more one shots and quality stories to you? Then consider becoming a Patron of LeafyDream! Donate money to help support my writing. There are no paywalls, so you're not missing out on major stries if you don't join, but if you do join, you can suggest or even request a one shot made by me!

That's right, a one shot written by me for your entertainment! It can be smut, fluff, horror, comedy, or anything in between! Find out more at (P)atreon dot com slash Leafydream. A donation is always appreciated, but so are kind words, and a friendly review!

Love you all. Stay safe.

Next update is scheduled for: 4/29/2018


	3. A Unanimous Agreement

**A Unanimous Agreement**

Ruby awoke to a painful, almost drilling sensation in her head. It took her almost a full minute to realize the agonizing pain was the sound of her alarm going off, demanding she wake up. She tried to reach for the small, digital clock's snooze button, but all she accomplished was knocking the clock off of her nightstand and onto the ground.

"Ugh." She groaned, sitting up. She reached down to turn the alarm off, when she realized what was in her hand. "Huh?"

A book. A very familiar book, with a black cover a single red rose on the front. Ruby turned off the alarm as the memories came back like a small wave. She stared at the book with a heavy sigh as she remembered.

Her mother, Summer, had lived most of her life with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She had her own alt, a woman name named Raven that would sometimes come out to talk to Ruby and Yang. The two women gave Ruby the best advice they could, and one of the best pieces of advice was to have a journal or diary.

Ruby's diary was a gift from Summer, and she remembered her mother explaining that it served two purposes. When Ruby was dissociating, she could read it to help ground herself into the present, helping stop the dissociation episode, or she could read it after dissociating.

After dissociating, an alternate personality, or alt, would take control of the body. Usually Ruby would have no memory of what happened when the alt was in control. The basic idea was that the alt that stepped into the driver's seat would write in the diary, noting down everything that had happened during their time out. Then they'd go to sleep and wake up as Ruby.

It was almost scary to think the rose-covered diary now held Ruby's entire life in its pages...

 _If I have it, then…_ The young woman tried to remember what had happened last night. All that came back was a blank, though. She tried again, trying to recall even the slightest detail, but all she could remember was a peculiar, yet familiar smell…

 _Pizza?_

Ruby stared at her book, before she opened the covers and read the first page. _'Your name is Ruby Rose.'_ She wrote those words years ago when she was a child, back when her mother was still with her. She skipped head, slowly making sure nothing important had been forgotten.

Her father's betrayal, Adam, Sun, and finally moving to Vale… There was an ache in Ruby's heart, but at least she knew why it was there. Then she got to the latest entry of the book, and her silver eyes slowly read the words she didn't remember writing.

' _Hey, Ruby. So, I guess I'm supposed to write in this and tell you what happened. It's kind of a long story, so bare with me. I know you have questions. I'll try answering them all.'_ Already Ruby felt a tightness in her chest, but she tried to ignore it. This entry wasn't like the others. This one felt different...

' _I forgot about the others. Weiss, Yang, Blake… I forgot they existed. I can't imagine how crazy that sounds. Honestly, reading this book was crazy. I almost didn't believe it, but it's true, isn't it? I know it is. I can feel it… I can almost remember having them, but it feels like some kind of dream.'_

Ruby blinked, rubbing at her eyes to wipe away some moisture. She sat up straight, sighing as she shook off the last bits of fatigue and exhaustion. _'So last night, we(you?) were at a party, and this guy drugged your drink.'_ Those words alone were enough to almost send Ruby into a panic.

 _I was drugged…?_ Ruby felt a shiver go up her spine, and she shook her head. It was terrifying to think what could have happened, but she tried to swallow down her growing dread. She shook it off as best she could and kept reading.

' _When we realized what happened, we ran out of that party. We were trapped in the middle of nowhere, in a city that I didn't recognize. You didn't recognize. Whatever. I was terrified, but then this guy found me. Jaune. He's a pizza delivery guy, and he let me sit in his car and eat pizza until I figured out what I wanted to do. Long story short, he saved my life and got us home safely.'_

' _We celebrated New Years together. It was actually pretty fun. He's really funny. Nice too.'_ There was a new passage, hastily written as if she had been scared to write it. _'I know this might not mean much to you know, and I know I can't really tell you what to do, but I was hoping you could be friends with him? I know how lonely you've been feeling lately, cause I'm feeling it now. Jaune's nice though. I think you'll really like him.'_

Ruby wasn't sure how to process what she was reading. This was basically a letter to herself, and her past self was telling her that she apparently made friends with some pizza guy after he saved her life? It was insane, but it must have happened. She tried to remember last night again, closing her eyes as she concentrated.

There was the smell of pizza again. The taste this time. She remembered her head hurting and music, loud honking from cars. But she couldn't see anything. The memory was still too hazy. She sighed, and looked at the book again.

' _Here's his number and e-mail. I hope you talk to him. I really liked him, so hopefully you will too.'_ There was another gap between the next two passages, and Ruby wondered what was going through her mind when she wrote all of this. _'I'm going to sleep soon. When I wake up, you won't remember what happened, so I kind of wonder what's going to happen to me… You won't remember me, and I'll just be you, so… I mean, is it like dying?'_

Ruby wasn't sure how to answer the question...

' _I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be thinking like that. I'm still Ruby Rose. It's not like I'm going to die, right? I just turn into you.'_

That was the last of the entry. Ruby put the book down, closed it and stared at the red bookmark poking out. Another entry in her life.

Surreal felt like a good word for it. Weird might have been better. She didn't know what to do now that she knew what she did. She needed time to process it.

Ruby sighed and looked into her own mind again. She could feel the other alternates in her head: Yang, Weiss, and Blake. It felt like they were asleep.

 _I'm okay. I'm okay. Just gonna make breakfast and think this over._ The thought of calling Jaune popped into her head, but she shook the thought away. _Later. I-_

There was banging below her, and Ruby cringed at the loud pounding on her door. She ran downstairs in her pajamas and opened the door. "Hello? Oof!" Something lunged at her, wrapping around her neck and squeezing the life from her in an instant.

"Rubes! Oh, thank god you're okay! I was so worried last night! I wanted to come and check on you, but then the cops came cause I kicked that guy's ass, and it was this whole thing, and the party got ruined, and I was angry, and-"

"N-Neon?!" Ruby tried to pull the orange-haired girl off of her, and after a bit of fighting, Neon allowed herself to be removed. Ruby stared at her with confused, silver eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to give you your stuff back!" Neon reached into the large satchel hanging off of her shoulder, and pulled out a red coat that Ruby recognized as hers. "Your wallet, keys, and phone too!"

"W-wait. What? How…? Why do you have these?" the dark-haired woman questioned, taking her stuff back. "Wait." Neon's words finally set in for her, and her brow wrinkled. "Did you say something about cops?"

"Yeah! The guy who tried to drug you! When I saw you run off, I totally kicked his ass! That's what he gets for hurting you! Then someone called the cops on us, and, well… Stuff happened so I couldn't go find you." Neon grinned, only to almost immediately deflate. She looked like someone had poured cold water all over a cat. "I'm sorry."

Ruby was told she was pretty energetic, but Neon was moving at a mile a second. The young crimsonette stared at Neon, catching up as she shook her head. "Neon, it's okay-."

"No, it's not! I invited you to that stupid party!" Neon groaned, walking past Ruby and falling onto her sofa. She buried her face in her hands, as Ruby closed the door.

 _Come right in,_ the woman thought, mildly annoyed at the sudden intrusion. She brushed it off, her better nature pushing her to help Neon. Whether or not the orange-haired womn was her friend, Neon clearly needed to talk to someone, and Ruby wanted to help.

"I really feel awful about this, Ruby. You could have… i-if you hadn't ran away from that guy, you might have…" Neon rubbed her face, groaning angrily. "I feel like such an ass! This is so my fault, and I can't believe I messed up so bad! Ah! Stupid, stupid!" Neon smacked herself in the head once, and she was about to do it again, before Ruby caught her hand.

"Neon!" The girl looked up at Ruby. Her usually bright, emerald eyes had almost seemed to fade into a dull teal. "It's not your fault. It's okay. You couldn't have known, and I'm okay, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah, but…" Neon bit her lower lip, digging her teeth into it, before speaking. "It's so stupid. I had this whole plan! The night was supposed to have been awesome! Me, and my best gal, partying. We were gonna ring in the new year together! But I ruined it. You could have gotten hurt, o-or worse because of me!"

"Well, I mean, we can still enjoy the new year together," Ruby smiled. "It's okay, Neon."

"How are you not hating me right now?!" The woman pulled her hand out of Ruby's grip and she fell back into the sofa with a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry, Rubes. I mean, it's my fault. I've been thinking about how if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself…"

"I get that." Ruby placed a hand on Neon's shoulder, sitting beside the girl on the sofa. "But it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm okay, and I forgive you for what happened. Nothing to worry about, right?"

Neon just looked away, and it was almost as if the usual glow on her skin was fading. Ruby felt a pang of guilt. She hated seeing others sad. Her mother taught her better than that.

"Okay, what if you promise to be better in the future?" Neon blinked, and she looked at her friend with an arched brow. "You messed up. Everyone makes mistakes, Neon, but you know what you did wrong, so in the future, you'll do your best to be better. That's all any of us can do, right? Beating ourselves up won't change what's already happen."

The depressed woman sniffed, wiping her eyes as she slowly nodded her head. "You're right… You're right!" Suddenly Neon jumped off the sofa and landed on her feet, a toothy grin on her face. "I'll be the best damn friend ever!" The light in her eyes came back, and her skin seemed to radiate with energy.

Ruby wasn't sure if she was happy to see Neon feel better, or confused at how quickly the girl seemed to bounce back. Either way, Neon's finger was suddenly pointed right at her face.

"Ruby Rose! I, Neon Katt, swear to be the best friend you could ask for!"

"Um, okay! Awesome," Ruby nodded her head, deciding to just be happy Neon wasn't upset anymore.

"Let's start! You got any breakfast yet?"

"No, but I was just gonna-"

"Awesome! Come on, come on, I'll get us some McDonalds!" Neon reached down and grabbed Ruby's arm, pulling on the shorter girl as she beamed. "Come on!"

"N-Neon, hold on! Wait! I'm still in my pajamas!"

* * *

Neon proved to be incredibly difficult to stop when an idea popped into her head, so rather than fight it, Ruby decided to accept the free meal. She was at least able to convince Neon to let her change in her bedroom.

The two drove to the closest McDonalds, with Ruby clinging for dear life again, and sat inside the restaurant after ordering their meals.

"I mean it, Rubes! You and me? We're gonna be like this!" Neon crossed her fingers as she smiled. "I'm going to make last night up to you, I promise!"

"You really don't have to, Neon. I'm okay, and I'm not upset at you or anything," Ruby repeated.

"I know, but I'm mad at me! Friends don't do that kind of thing! Friends don't leave friends with some scumbag asshole," huffed Neon. "I just feel like such an ass," she groaned, resting her head on her hand.

"Hey, come on. Cheer up." Ruby smiled at Neon, gently punching her arm. "I didn't get hurt, and the whole thing wasn't all bad."

"How is getting drugged by some asshole not all bad?!" Neon scowled.

"Well-" Ruby hesitated for a moment, glancing at Neon. The young woman really hoped this didn't come off as weird. "I met a guy. He helped me. He was really nice, and he saved my life, basically. Made sure I got home okay."

"A guy?" Neon's eyes widened at that, before she frowned again. "You sure he isn't a creep?"

Ruby wasn't sure, honestly. She had little to no memories of last night, but she trusted what she read. As strange as it was to think, if her self from yesterday liked Jaune, then she probably would to. "I'm pretty sure, yeah."

"Since you have your phone now, are you going to give him a call?" Neon inquired, sipping at her mountain dew.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe?"

Neon nodded her head, understanding Ruby's hesitation. They both lifted their head as they heard their orders being finished. "I'll get it." She stood up and walked away, leaving Ruby alone.

Well, almost alone.

" _Thought she'd never leave."_

"Blake?" Ruby's eyes widened for a moment, before she glanced around the resturant to make sure no one heard her. _"I didn't hear you get up."_

" _I know. Who is this guy?"_

" _Oh. Neon? She's Yang friend."_

" _I mean the one from last night."_

Ruby winched, knowing she had been caught. She couldn't lie to Blake, unfortunately. The alt knew Ruby too well. She sighed quietly, before answering. " _Can you wake up Weiss and Yang for me? I don't want to explain it two more times. I promise, I'll tell everyone everything as soon as we're back home, okay?"_

The young woman didn't get a response for a moment, and she wondered in Blake was even listening still. Finally she got a response, when her own chin dipped down without her knowledge. Blake nodded Ruby's head, before vanishing into the depths of their mind.

"Ruby? You okay?" Neon walked back to the table, placing the trays down. "You look spooked."

"Y-yeah. Just… thinking."

"About the guy, right?" the orange-haired woman asked. Ruby didn't answer, which Neon took as confirmation. "For what it's worth, and I know it's not a lot, I think you should talk to him again."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked, looking at Neon with raised brows. "Really?"

Neon unwrapped her burger and bit into it, nodding. "Totally." She smiled at Ruby. "I mean, he sounds like a cool guy. Why not?"

Ruby had a dozen different reasons for why she shouldn't talk to Jaune again, but she wasn't sure if she could tell any of them to Neon. "It's… weird. I mean, I'm not exactly normal." Ruby unwrapped her burger and began to quietly eat as Neon nodded. "I'm socially awkward…" _And that's putting it mildly._

"Aw, come on! Where's the Ruby I know and love?" the other woman wondered. "Where's the badass boss bitch who gets violent when people get grabby? Where's the party chick who dances with me at raves? Who does shots with me?!"

 _Yang does what now?!_ The young woman shook her head, avoiding Neon's emerald eyes. She was expecting Yang, but Ruby wasn't her sister. She was just… Ruby Rose. "I guess I'm not always like that, Neon. I guess sometimes I'm just… me."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Neon asked. "You're pretty cool if you ask me. This guy would be lucky to know you. I know I am."

Ruby lifted up her head at that, surprised by her words. The silver-eyed girl smiled, truly appreciating the Neon's kindness. She was undoubtedly weird, but so was Ruby. Maybe Neon wasn't just Yang's friend...

"Thanks, Neon."

* * *

Jaune smiled as he held the small whiteboard in his hands. He stood among a small crowd of people in the Vale International Airport, happily awaiting the return of his two best friends. Their plane had already landed, so he didn't have to wait long for them.

"Jaune!" a voice greeted, and he smiled as he saw that familiar bright orange hair. An arm waved at him as Nora Valkyrie ran towards the blond, dragging her boyfriend, Lie Ren, behind her.

"Welcome back, guys!" Jaune hugged Nora as soon as she was close enough, a gesture that was happily returned, before doing the same for Ren.

"Good to see you, Jaune." Ren's eyes glanced down, noticing the whiteboard, and Jaune grinned at the blush that burned on his friend's cheeks. "Is that really necessary?"

Jaune smiled at him, handing the whiteboard to Nora, who grinned at the words on it. "No, but it is accurate."

"Mr. and Mrs. Valkyrie? Awww!" Nora pushed the board into her boyfriend's vision, pointing at the heart surrounding the words, all written in pink. "Ren, you're my Mister!"

"It is pretty accurate," the blond commented.

"Well, it's good to be back home," sighed Ren. The smile on his lips, and the spark in his eyes, betrayed him. No matter how stoic he seemed, Jaune and Nora could both tell how happy the young man was. "Mind helping?" He lifted up his hand, and motioned to the luggage.

"Sure. Come on, the car's not far." Jaune took the luggage and walked along his friends, smiling as Nora skipped beside the two boys. "So, how was seeing your parents again, Ren?"

"Good. They showed us the country. It was a nice change of pace from Vale."

"We went hiking, climbed mountains, saw the Great Wall!" Nora listed, counting on her free hand. "Pretty good wall. Seven out of ten!"

"She's been waiting to make that joke," Ren stated. "For the last two days. I had to tell my parents not to ask her what she thought of it." The corner of his lip rose as Nora let out a loud gasp, gawking at her boyfriend.

"You told them not to ask?! R-Ren! I feel betrayed! How could you?!" The raven-haired man kept walking as Nora pouted. "Y-you're some kind of evil mastermind!"

Jaune chuckled at his friends' antics. The two really played off of one another, and came off as like the perfect couple. He remembered going on double dates with the two when he was dating Pyrrha. Even then, he and Pyrrha were just amazed at the two's chemistry.

When his and Pyrrha's relationship ended, the two were his biggest support. They looked out for him, and even let him stay in their apartment. He felt indebted to them, honestly.

"You guys need any food?" Jaune questioned, motioning at a fast food shop inside the airport.

"Ooh, starving!" Nora beamed, but Ren placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure there's food at home, Nora. Why don't we all sit down together and eat? It'll be nice to sit down together at our dinner table." The girl looked at her boyfriend, before nodding her head.

"Oh, alright."

The three soon made it to Jaune's car, and he helped them put their stuff away into the yellow sedan. Once they were done, they sat inside, Nora sitting in the shotgun, as she requested, and Ren sitting behind her. Jaune turned on the engine, and the three began their journey home.

"So, what'd you do while your mother and I were away, son? Have any wild parties?" Nora joked, deepening her voice to more resemble a man's.

"Shouldn't I be the dad?" Ren inquired, leaning between the two. Nora chuckled, kissing Ren's cheek, before gently pushing him back to his seat.

"That's nice, honey!"

"Heh. No wild parties," Jaune confessed. "Just work, mostly. Some cleaning up, some gaming. Normal stuff..."

"Ah, I sense hesitation!" Nora grinned.

Jaune did indeed hesitate, staring down the road as he slowly explained. "Well, I met this girl-"

"What?!" Nora gasped. "I mean, what?!" she repeated, deepening her voice this time. "What's her name? How'd you meet? Did you get her number? Was she hot? How hot?"

"Nora," Ren sighed, placing his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "One question at a time, please." He looked at Jaune, raising a single brow. "I am curious though. Who is this girl?"

"Her name's Ruby Rose."

"Ooh, she sounds pretty. How'd you meet?" Nora asked.

"Well, that's kind of a long story." Jaune spent a good portion of the car ride doing his best to explain how he and Ruby met, and how he helped her find her home. He even explained to Ren and Nora how he and Ruby celebrated the new year together.

"Wow." Nora blinked, staring at Jaune for a moment. "We need to give Hollywood a call! We could sell this story! We could even get Ryan Reynolds to play Jaune!"

"Why can't I play me?"

"Sorry, Jaune. You just don't got that face. We'd need star power for this movie!"

"In all seriousness, that's quite the story, Jaune," Ren commented. "Were you able to get any contact information from her?"

"Yeah. E-mail and phone."

"Ooh, have you called yet?" Nora asked.

"Not yet." Jaune shook his head. "I'm waiting for her to call me. I mean, she lost her phone, so-"

"Mmm." Nora's face soured almost immediately. She stared at Jaune with disappointment, shaking her head as she clicked her tongue. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. Don't you know anything about women? Guys are supposed to call first."

"But she doesn't have her phone!"

"Then you e-mail! Send a pigeon or something! You need to strike while the iron is hot!" Nora advised.

"You think so?" Jaune's brow wrinkled for a moment, slowly nodding his head. "Maybe you're right…"

Ren's magenta eyes bounced between his two friends, before glancing at the dashboard of the car. "Jaune, the gas is getting kind of low. Do we have enough gas to make it back home?"

Jaune didn't even look at his gas tank. He just read the subtle tone in his friend's voice, before nodding his head. "Thanks, Ren. I'll pick up some gas. You two gonna be okay waiting in the car?"

The blond-haired man was close friends with both Nora and Ren, but he wouldn't deny that he was probably closer to Ren. The two were more than friends. Jaune saw the young man as his brother, and he hoped the feeling was mutual. Growing up together, the two were able to pick up on subtle things. Gestures, tone, little things that helped them communicate silently.

What Ren was really saying was, 'I need to talk to Nora personally. Can we stop the car?' Well, that, and maybe asking for a slurpee at the nearest gas station. Either way, Jaune drove the car off of the freeway and to the closest gas station to pick up fuel, and give the couple their alone time.

* * *

Nora wasn't an idiot. She knew Ren and Jaune had a super, secret 'bro-language' that they used to talk to each other. She wasn't offended, or jealous. She knew Ren needed guy friends, as much as he might have denied it.

She just wished he didn't have to lecture her right now. She knew it was going to happen, but still...

She watched as Jaune parked the car and walked out to fill up the tank. Nora looked at Ren, and judging by the subtle frown on his face, he knew that she knew. "What'd I do now?" She tried to make it sound like a joke, but she doubt Ren bought it.

"I know you want Jaune to be happy, Nora." Nora's smile dropped, knowing where the conversation was going. She let out a sigh as she leaned into her seat. "But I'm worried about you and Jaune. I know he's not the only one to miss Pyrrha."

Ren was right, but of course he was. He was Ren. Nora sighed again, crossing her arms as she remembered their red-haired friend. "I know it's stupid. It's not like she's dead or anything, but… a phone call would be nice. A text even! It's like we haven't talked for the whole year!"

"Getting Jaune to date another girl won't bring Pyrrha back," her boyfriend warned. "She won't be Pyrrha, and you can't act like she is."

"I know!" Nora huffed. "I'm not stupid, Ren."

"I never said you were. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." Nora rolled her eyes. This was the problem with dating someone aiming to be a therapist. Sometimes it felt like she was talking to a doctor, not her boyfriend. "I'm doing it again, aren't it?"

"Are you sure you're not a mind reader?" The woman groaned, staring at her boyfriend.

Ren shrugged his shoulders. "No, but I am good at reading what people are thinking."

Nora had to admit, that was mostly true. "Took you forever to realize I wanted to date you." Ren's face flushed, and he stiffened up slightly. She smiled at that, as she continued, "Besides, it's less about me wanting a Pyrrha, and more about Jaune wanting one. Come on, Mr. Mind Reader, you've seen how sad he's been since Pyrrha dumped him! He's been trying to hide it, but even I can tell!"

"I know," Ren confessed. "I've seen it too… He has a habit of trying to wall us out." He relaxed, leaning forward to kiss his girlfriend's forehead. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to see either of you hurt. I know you just want Jaune to be happy, but we have to be careful about pushing him. If he isn't ready, we might do more harm than good."

"You're right… I'm sorry, I just-wait. We?" Nora blinked, turning to look at her boyfriend. A smile was on his lips as he placed a hand on hers.

"Well, it would be nice not to have to worry about Jaune feeling like a third wheel," he confessed, earning a wide grin on Nora's face. "We'll need to play it safe, but if we can help Jaune be happy-"

"We're gonna be matchmakers!" Nora beamed, kicking her legs into the air. "Ren, this is going to be great! Ooh, we should follow them on their date!"

"We're not doing that." Ren crossed his arms, reining Nora in as the girl pouted. Then she grinned as she began to sing, much to Ren's annoyance.

"Every party needs a pooper, that's why they invited you."

"Nora."

"Party pooper!"

"Nora."

"Party pooper!"

Ren rolled his eyes as Jaune returned to the couple. He opened the door and stepped inside, smiling as he handed Ren a large slurpee. "Alright! Tank's all filled. Ready to get back on the road, guys?"

The raven-haired man stared at his drink, confused by the gift, before he looked at Nora. The girl shrugged her shoulders with a smile, before pointing to the freeway.

"Onward! To the future!"

* * *

Ruby had been dreading this moment since she read her diary. She held her phone in her hand, staring at it as a meeting was held in her head. She was explaining what happened last night, and this morning to her three alternates. The reactions were what she expected.

" _This is my fault, Ruby,"_ Yang apologized. _"I never should have pressured you to go to that party."_ Ruby could feel her sister's arms around her, squeezing her tightly. _"I'm so sorry…"_

" _It's not your fault, Yang."_ Ruby shrugged her shoulders, silently asking to be released. _"You didn't do anything."_

" _What happened to the man?"_ Blake asked. Ruby could feel Blake's anger brimming under her calm voice.

" _Neon beat him up, apparently. Then the cops came, and I'm guessing Neon got him in trouble."_

" _Here's hoping he spends the night with a very lonely man,"_ Yang growled. Ruby felt Yang shift from scared to angry, and Ruby trembled at the sensation. It was a scary thing feeling so angry, yet… not. Her mind felt conflicted for a moment as Ruby tried to calm her sister down.

" _Come on, Yang. That's-"_

" _Ruby, you can't try and defend this guy! You don't understand what he would have done if he had the chance!"_

" _He would have raped me, Yang."_ Ruby spoke as bluntly as she could, her actual lips curving into a frown as her teeth ground against one another. _"I'm not a child. I know what would have happened, but…"_

" _You're too nice for your own good, sis. He was an asshole, and I hope he rots,"_ Yang huffed, voicing Ruby's own worries. _"Whatever. What happens to him isn't our problem. What about this John guy?"_

" _Jaune,"_ Ruby corrected.

" _That's what I said?"_

" _I think it might be best if we avoid him,"_ Blake suggested. _"What he did was nice, but we can't afford to let a stranger in."_

" _Blake's probably right, Rubes,"_ Yang agreed.

Ruby hoped they didn't feel her disappointment as she searched her mind for one last voice. _"What about you, Weiss?"_

Weiss' voice echoed through Ruby's mind, and she felt Blake's, Yang's, and especially her own surprise as Weiss gave her vote. _"I think Ruby should talk to him."_

" _R-really?"_ Ruby gasped. She couldn't see her, but she could feel Blake's shock turn into frustration, or maybe it was annoyance.

" _Whoa. Didn't expect that from you, Weiss-cream."_

" _That's a three-to-one vote,"_ Blake declared.

" _I want to talk to him."_ Ruby surprised herself. She spoke without thinking, not even realizing what she was getting into. She could feel Yang and Blake staring down at her, confusion and dread in their eyes as she shook her head. _"I want to talk to Jaune,"_ she repeated.

" _Ruby, are you sure…?"_ Yang questioned.

" _Two-to-two."_

" _I know why you two are so against Ruby talking to him."_ Weiss spoke up again, her voice almost formal. She was the calmest of the four, Ruby realized, and they all knew why. _"You're scared he's another Adam."_

" _Weiss,"_ Blake growled. " _I know you mean well, but-"_

" _I know I came after he hurt all of you," Weiss interrupted. "I know he scarred you as bad as Tai did."_

Hearing her father's name brought up bad memories for Ruby. It brought up something much worse in Yang's case. _"It wasn't the same. He sent mom to an asylum to rot! Adam was a shitty boyfriend,"_ she muttered. _"Tai basically killed our mom and forbid us from seeing her…"_

" _Believe what you want to, Yang,"_ sighed the youngest alt. _"But my point is that both of them have made trusting others hard to do. That's why we just sit around in our house, trying to wall people out. It isn't healthy."_

" _Always thought you liked putting up walls,"_ Blake commented. Ruby flinched at the comment, worried her mind was about to turn into a shouting match, but Weiss remained calm.

" _It makes for a good study environment for me, but it's been hurting all of us."_ Despite her words, Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was small, petite. She knew it belonged to Weiss.

She said 'all of us,' but Ruby knew Weiss was referring to Ruby. It surprised the young redhead. She had forgotten that as cold as Weiss might have come off, there was a very kind and compassionate woman just under the surface…

" _We can't live our lives in here. We came to this city for a new start. It's been a year, but what have we started? The only friend we have is Neon, and I doubt we can trust her for long."_

" _Hey! She's my friend!"_ Yang growled.

" _Exactly. Your friend."_ Weiss ignored the angered alternate, speaking to the group once more. _"Ruby, do you want to talk to Jaune?"_ The young woman hesitated to answer for a moment, before she steeled herself and nodded her head. _"Then I vote you do."_

The silence was deafening, and Ruby opened her mouth to thank her alt, only for Yang to speak. _"I'm changing my vote. Ruby, if you want to talk to the guy then do it."_

" _R-really?"_

" _Yeah. If you want to do this, then I support you, just… be careful, okay?"_.

" _Right! Always!"_ Ruby was beaming, her lips spreading into a wide grin as she squeezed her phone.

" _Alright. I know when I'm outvoted,"_ Blake conceded with a sigh. For a moment, Ruby felt guilty for opposing her, but Blake's voice soon returned to her stoic nature. _"Let's call him."_

* * *

Jaune stared at his phone, knowing that the small item held his fate. Nora sat on one side of him, and Ren was on the other, as the three sat on the couch in their living together. They all starred at the phone.

"You need to touch 'Contacts,'" Nora advised.

"I know how to work a phone, Nora," Jaune mumbled. "I'm just… worried. I don't want to be weird."

"What's weird is staring at your phone like you've got a bomb! Just call her! What's the worst that can happen?"

"I get rejected? I get called a creep? She calls the cops on me and I get arrested and stuck in a cell with a very lonely man who sells me for cigarettes?"

"That would be unfortunate," Ren commented, dryly.

"Nah. The worst would be if she was actually part of a Satanic cult and just needed a virgin sacrifice. Or if she was witch. Or a witch in a Satanic cult, leading an army of werewolves, werebears, and wererats. That'd be the worst."

"This is not helping me call her," Jaune realized with a sigh.

Nora chuckled quietly, and she opened her mouth to apologize when his phone buzzed to life, playing one of Jaune's favorite songs as Ruby's name appeared on the screen.

"This'll be the day we've waited for! This'll be the day we opened up the door!"

"S-she's calling! Nora! You said guys call first." Jaune looked at Nora, who smiled sheepishly.

"Whoops. Yeah, I don't know anything about dating women. Sorry. Boop." Nora tapped on the phone, and Ruby's voice greeted them.

"Hello?"

Jaune glared at Nora, who grinned back at him, before he took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Hey, Ruby! Um… What's up? Um… you got your phone back okay?"

"Yeah. My friend found it and brought it back to me."

"That's great. Happy to hear it!" Jaune stood up, pulling away from Ren and Nora as he began to pace from one side of the living room to the other. "Um… So you're okay now?"

"Yeah. I'm alright. My head still hurts from yesterday, but I'm okay… Um, y-you know you really saved me last night, right?" she stuttered, tripping on her own words for a moment.

"Hey, it's no big deal!"

"It's a huge deal," she corrected. "Um, I know this is kind of awkward since we just met and all, and us meeting wasn't… the best."

"Awkward? No, no. Not at all! It's…" Jaune stopped, taking a deep breath and sighing. "Okay, it's a little awkward. I'm sorry. I-"

"It's not your fault!" Ruby quickly said. "It's just… I mean, feel free to disagree, but I was thinking it'd be better if we talked face to face?"

 _Face to face?_ Jaune came to a stop for a moment, before a smile lit up his face. "Yeah. That sounds great. Did you have anywhere in mind?"

"Not really. You?"

"Let me think… I know there's a nice little coffee shop near your apartment. We can meet there!" he suggested, before his eyes widened. "Ah, j-just so you know, I'm not weird. I haven't mapped out the area around your house or anything! I just know it cause I'm a pizza delivery guy, and I've been to that cafe before, and it's nice, and-"

Ruby laughed on the other side of the phone, and Jaune's worry melted off of his shoulders. He chuckled with her as she spoke. "It's okay. I thought as much. I'll see you there tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds great! I'll see you then." Ruby hung up the phone and Jaune put his hand down, grinning at his friends as Nora began to move her hands in the air.

"Hooray! Imaginary confetti!" she cheered, pretending to toss the confetti around.

Ren did not share Nora's happiness, to Jaune's confusion. He was frowning as he stared at Jaune, who tilted his head. "What? What'd I do?" he asked, before his phone rang again. He answered it quickly, holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jaune. Um… I never asked for the address for the place."

"Oh! Right. Sorry. Let me go get it!"

The two watched Jaune walk off, leaving them alone on the couch as he talked with Ruby. Ren and Nora glanced at each other as the young woman voiced both of their opinions. "Is it me, or is she a little bit like Jauney?"

"Cut from the same cloth, it seems," chuckled Ren.

* * *

Ruby Rose walked down the sidewalk, the many stores and shops of downtown Vale passing by her as her eyes searched for the 'Blue Skies Cafe.' She tried not to let her nerves get to her as she took slow, deep breaths.

She wore a red hoodie on her body, with simple jeans going down her legs. She fixed her purse for the hundredth time as she finally saw the small cafe.

It was a small, simple place squished between two other stores, with a large sign hanging above the door. The sign was painted a light blue, with the name of the store written in a bright yellow, with white clouds shining around it.

Ruby stepped inside, and the smell of sweets and caffeine hit her nose like a breeze. She enjoyed the scents, inhaling the chocolate and coffee wafting in the air, but it was a familiar face that brought a smile to her face.

"Hey, Ruby! Over here" Jaune smiled, waving at her from a table in the middle of the cafe.

For Ruby, this was the first time she had ever seen the man. She hoped he'd recognize her before she was supposed to recognize him. He wore a simple white shirt with a dark grey jacket, and his own pair of jeans. He smiled at her with bright blue eyes as she returned the gesture, waving back at him.

"Hey," she replied back, smiling as she walked towards his table.

The cafe was a nice place, all things considered. There were a few tables spread out in the small place, with a couch pushed into a corner for anyone who wanted softer seats. The walls of the small cafe were covered in work done by local artists, ranging from artistic photos of buildings or plants, to abstract illustrations of melting buildings. There were a few people there already, talking quietly as the baristas worked.

Ruby was almost surprised she'd never heard of the place before, but she reminded herself that she rarely got out of her house. When was the last time she even sat in a cafe?

 _Oh. Right. Never. First time,_ she thought to herself, trying not to wince at the awkward realization.

"Did you have a hard time finding the place?" Jaune asked.

Ruby shook head her, smiling. "Nope. No problem."

"Cool. I was going to wait until you came here before I ordered anything, so…" Jaune scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly as he motioned to the menu that hung off of the wall.

"Oh! Right. Sorry. Um, I don't really know what they have here, so you can just order, and I'll get something for myself later," Ruby suggested, but Jaune just shook his head.

"It's alright. If you're okay with it, I can pick some of my favorites and see what you like. I'll cover for it."

"I can't ask you to do that, I can pay for my stuff!"

"It's okay. I insist," Jaune grinned, and Ruby stared at him for a moment, before nodding her head with her own smile.

"Alright. So, what's good here?"

Jaune motioned for her to follow him, and the two walked to the cashier together, standing in line as they stared at the menu. "Well, they've got great quiche, and really good hot chocolate… Ooh, but their pie is really amazing."

Ruby nodded her head, glancing up and down the menu as she thought to herself. _I don't recognize half of this stuff… What's a breve? What's the difference between a cappuccino and a latte? What is this stuff?_ She did recognize one treat though, and the simple word made her grin.

"Hey, how about I buy us some cookies? It's the least I can do if you're going to buy us food. Besides, I kind of owe you for… you know. That night," she muttered, turning her eyes away from Jaune at the memory.

"Sure… How're you feeling, by the way? I mean, I didn't really ask on the phone, but I didn't know if it was bothering you, or something," Jaune asked, his blue eyes straining with worry. "I was going to call, but I was worried about being weird… I mean, we just met, and maybe you wouldn't even remember me, and-"

Ruby elbowed Jaune gently. That stopped the young man as she tried to calm him down. He was right that she didn't really remember that night, but he had no idea about the reason why.

"It's okay. That night is pretty fuzzy, honestly, but I know you really helped me out. I seriously owe you, Jaune."

"You're right. Gonna need two cookies to pay back this life debt," he joked, earning a small laugh from her.

Eventually it was their turn to order. Jaune went first, ordering the pair a couple of hot chocolates, plus one slice of pie, and one slice of quiche. He paid for his meal, before Ruby paid for their cookies. The two then returned to their seats, sitting across from each other.

"So, why did you want to meet?" Ruby asked.

"I was worried," Jaune answered. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." The red-head nodded her head as the man shifted in his seat. "Are… you okay? I mean, I get that, that night must have been pretty awful for you."

"I'm okay," she quickly answered. "I've had worse," she admitted.

"That's… not good," Jaune commented. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Ruby could feel her foot hitting her head. _And now I've made it awkward…_ "I-it's okay. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?"

"Right... Guess that makes you Supergirl, huh?" he grinned, and the smile was practically infectious.

"I've always been more of a fan of Starfire, personally. Maybe Cassandra Cain," Ruby offhandedly mentioned. She watched Jaune stare at her, blinking with confused eyes. _Oops.._ "Er, Cassandra Cain is this Batman character-"

"The Black Bat. Right?" Jaune grinned at her, clearly surprised. "You like comics?"

"Yeah," she confessed, clearly excited by the question. "I used to read them all the time as a kid. They were some of the first books I ever read!"

"Me too! My dad used to have these comics back when he was a kid! The Phantom, the Spirit, Action Comics, even some old 'Tales to Astonish!' issues. I grew up on that stuff."

"Man, you are so lucky. I love those old comics," Ruby giggled. "Like that issue where Batman has to change the colors of his costume every night?"

"Oh, I know that one. The Silver Age was awesome!" The two chuckled at their shared interest as a barista called out the two's order. Ruby moved to stand, but Jaune held up a hand and smiled at her. "I'll get it."

"You sure?" Jaune nodded his head as he got out of his seat and walked over to front counter. Ruby watched him, a small smile on her lips. It was fun talking to Jaune.

She wondered what else they could talk about...

* * *

"Alright, favorite Marvel movie?"

"Hmm." Ruby bit into her cookie, savoring the delicious crunch as she pondered the question. "Civil War."

"Nope. Wrong," Jaune replied, shaking his head.

"What? Why?" She gave a playful glare to the blond as he leaned back in his seat, waving his spoon like a stick as he corrected her incorrect opinion.

"Because you didn't say Guardians of the Galaxy."

"Civil War has better action scenes."

"Guardians has the main cast not trying to kill each other by the end of the film."

Ruby rolled her eyes, but the smile on her crumb-covered lips betrayed her. She was having fun talking to the older man. Despite the two year age difference, Ruby had an easy time talking to him. Ruby's mom probably would have called them two peas in a pod.

"Alright, alright. Best Marvel villain?" Jaune inquired, taking another bite of his quiche.

"Zemo."

"Ego the Living Planet. He's a living planet! How do you get better than that?!" Jaune and Ruby chuckled at the statement, clearly not taking the debate completely seriously. "Plus, he's played by Kurt Russel."

"Celebrity crush?" she teased.

"Hey, anyone who can set an alien monster on fire is pretty attractive in my book." The two chuckled again, before Jaune slid his cake towards her. "Here. Have some."

"You sure?" He nodded his head, and Ruby took the fork and slowly stabbed it into the chocolate dessert. She lifted the piece to her mouth and bit down, eyes widening as it melted on her tongue. "Wow… That's really good," she beamed.

"Right?" Jaune happily motioned her to keep eating. She did as he smiled at her. "Hey, Ruby? Can I… tell you something kind of weird?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I'm having a lot of fun. Is that weird?"

"Why would it be weird?" she replied, lowering her fork as her cheeks felt warm. "I mean, yeah, the way we met was weird, but this isn't. I'm having a good time," she confessed.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're funny. Nice. I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you," he replied, a grin on his face. "Um, are you doing anything after this? Any plans, I mean?"

"Studying. Dinner. Watching stuff." Ruby lazily shrugged her shoulder.

"Want to come with me to an arcade? There's this cool place nearby, I don't know if you've been, but it has a bunch of games there we can play. I mean, if you want."

"Well, I'll have to make room in my schedule." She smirked at Jaune. "Sure." She dug into her cake and took a bite as the two smiled at each other.

Once their shared cake was done, the two walked out, not even noticing the small crowds that filled Vale's street. They walked side by side with one another, grins on both of their faces.

"So, you mentioned studying. You go to Beacon, right? Can I ask what you're studying?" he inquired.

"Engineering. You know, machines and stuff."

"Whoa. That's awesome," Jaune beamed.

"What about you?" Ruby felt regret as soon as the words slipped out of her lips. Jaune's smile fell for a moment, and he scratched the back of his neck as he avoided her eyes.

"Er, no. I'm not really majoring in anything. Kind of just… between education, I guess."

The fact clearly wasn't something Jaune was proud of. She reached for his shoulder, squeezing it as she tried to comfort him. "Hey, don't sweat it. Means you can just step right into finding your own dream! That's pretty cool, you know?" Ruby smiled. "Don't beat yourself up." She gently bumped against his side as she confessed, "I think you're pretty cool."

Ruby kept her smile up, but inside she was worried she had overstepped her boundaries. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Jaune after just starting it.

But the smile on his face told her she had nothing to worry about. "Thanks, Ruby. I appreciate it." His sapphire eyes stared into her silver orbs, and both relaxed, knowing the day was far from ruined. "Come on! Let's go! The arcade is just around the corner!"

Ruby and Jaune grinned at one another, before the two stepped forward, happily walking side by side as the conversation shifted to happier subjects. Ruby hadn't felt this at ease in a long time. The voices in her head were quiet, and she actually felt normal.

For Jaune, he felt anything but normal. He felt special. He felt lucky to meet someone as nice and fun as Ruby Rose. He laughed with her as time just flew by them.

 **END**

Whoo! Chapter 3. Here's hoping people still like this story. It is not easy to write. Lots of characters, and lots of trying to make everyone transition well.

Finding how things from the show translate into the real world is sometimes easy, sometimes not. Like instead of legends of Huntsman, Ruby grew up on superheroes and fairy tales (not that different, honestly). But what about jobs? What about professions? Not everyone's trying to be a Hunter, obviously. How does the 'real' world setting affect their characters and stuff?

It's also important to make sure no one comes off as unreasonably dickish. All the characters in this chapter were our heroes, after all. Neon, Ren, Nora, and, of course, our main stars: Jaune, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. I'm especially happy to have Neon star in the story because, well, I like Neon Katt. Hopefully they all came off well.

Phew. I am tired. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and stay tuned for the next one! Hopefully it'll be done on the date I promise it. And if you can, please leave a review, it always helps me out. Keeps me going, ya know?

And look for the Lancaster one shot I'm making right now! Should come out in the next couple of days. It's almost certainly going to be smut. That's my contribution to the 9 Days of Lancaster. Well, that and this chapter.

 **Enjoy my work? Remember that you can support me on Pat-reon slash Leafydream! Make sure to remove the hyphen. Donate to me once a month and you'll be able to request one shots and short stories from me. Smut, horror, romance, you ask for it, and I'll deliver!**

Also, I had to look it up. It's 'A Unanimous,' not 'An Unanimous.' Unanimous makes a 'yoo' sound so despite being a vowel... Sorry. Now I'm just blathering. Have a good day!

Next Update: May 25th 2018


	4. A Well Intentioned Path

**A Well Intentioned Path**

Ren cared about Jaune like a brother. The young man was one of his closest friends. When things between Jaune and Pyrrha ended, Ren was there for his brother. He offered the blond a place to stay, and the chance to get back on his feet. Over the first few weeks, Ren saw Jaune at his worst. The blond kept to himself for over a month, leaving Ren and Nora to simply watch their friend suffer.

There was a time when Ren feared Jaune would never feel the same happiness again. That life was all downhill for him.

Then Ren saw Jaune come back home after his second meeting with Ruby Rose, and he dared to hope that things could finally return to normal. Even after a night of sleep, Jaune was still talking about the mysterious girl.

"Seriously, you guys, she's so cool! And she's nice, and quirky, and she laughed at my jokes!" Jaune ate another spoonful of cereal, swallowing the chocolate treat. "She thought I was hilarious."

"She sounds very nice," Ren complimented, standing by the stove with a spatula in hand. He smiled at the sound of his friend's happiness, though most wouldn't recognize it.

"She really laughed at your jokes?" Nora wondered, arching a brow. "I mean, were you telling your jokes, or jokes you hear other people say?" The orange-haired woman snickered as Jaune pouted at her. She waved a hand in the air, beaming. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding!"

"For your information, Nora, I made a joke about canoes, and she thought I was hilarious!" Jaune grinned with pride, before his eyes widened. Ren quietly chuckled a Jaune recalled another happy memory.

"Oh, and we started playing air hockey together, and she was insane! She made these kung fu noises every time she hit the puck! It was awesome!"

"Did you lose?" Nora inquired.

"I… Yeah," the young man sighed. "She's really fast."

Nora chuckled at the statement. The three friends were assembled together for their traditional morning breakfast. Both Jaune and Nora were eating at the table. The young man was eating his cereal, while the ginger-haired woman was chowing down on another serving of pancakes. Ren stood away from them, quietly working on another round of pancakes.

"So when do we get to meet her?" Nora questioned, biting into another piece of her fluffy heaven.

"Ahem," Ren coughed into his elbow, glancing at his girlfriend. "There's no rush, of course."

"Right. No rush." The ginger-haired woman smiled at her boyfriend, who quietly sighed.

"Well, I… I don't know," confessed the blond. He scratched his head as he stared into his bowl. "I mean, I like her, but wouldn't it be weird to invite her over? We just met."

"You could play it cool. Y'know, just say you forgot something in your apartment, ask if she wants to come inside, and then she'll walk in, I'll pop the confetti, drop the banner, take out the cake, and introduce myself!"

"Nora." The raven-haired man walked over to the table, a plate of pancakes balanced on one hand as the other held a fork. He stabbed the top cake and pushed the sweet treat into his girlfriend's mouth, silencing her for a moment. "Your pancakes are done."

"Mmm! Fanks En!"

As Nora ate away at the pile of pancakes, Ren looked at Jaune. "As much as I would like to meet her, you might want to take it slow, Jaune. You mentioned she's attending Beacon, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Engineering. How cool is that?!" he grinned.

"Very." Ren resisted the urge to chuckle at Jaune's behavior. It was good seeing him so ecstatic. "Anyways, I'm sure she needs to do some studying. The school year is going to start soon. I know I need to get ready for Dr. Shirogane's class." His magenta eyes then glanced at his girlfriend, and they narrowed as he frowned. "And I'm not the only one. How's your homework look, Nora?"

"Boring," she replied, swallowing down a mouthful of syrup-covered pancakes before looking at Jaune. "Ren's right. She probably does need to study." Ren smiled at that, before noticing the spark in Nora's eyes. He knew that spark all too well.

"That's why we should have a party night! Just the four of us! A sort of, 'Let's be stupid and have fun before school starts' party! That'd be awesome, right?!" Nora beamed.

Jaune leaned back in his seat, a smile on his face as he nodded his head. "That would be pretty cool…" He was clearly being won over by the idea.

Ren quickly interjected, acting as the stick in the mud his friends sometime needed. "Just make sure she knows she can decline the offer," Ren added. "You don't want to pressure her."

Jaune nodded his head. "Right. I'll figure it out. We didn't really plan on when we'd see each other again. Maybe a fun night with my two best pals is a good idea. I'm sure she'd love you guys," he grinned. Nora beamed in response as Ren nodded in appreciation.

The blue-eyed man picked up his bowl and leaned his bowl back, drinking the rest of his milk. He clicked his lips, before wiping his mouth clean. "Alright, I'm done. You guys need anything before I head over to Hazel's?"

Ren shook his head as Nora smiled. "Have fun at work, son! Don't forget the lunch your mother made you!"

"How much longer are you going to use that joke?" Jaune wondered with a chuckle. He gave Nora a quick hug goodbye, before waving to Ren, and walking to his room to change.

The two heard the door closed, and the raven-haired man looked at his girlfriend. Ren hated being the realist of the group, but it was a role he needed to play. "Nora…" He crossed his arms as his girlfriend put on a smile.

"What? I'm trying to be supportive!"

Ren closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. He knew Nora meant well. He knew she just wanted Jaune to be happy, but he wasn't sure if Nora knew what that meant. She was optimistic, and that could lead to a painful reality check. "I'm just worried about you pushing too hard."

"I'm trying to be nice," she replied. "The party isn't just for her! It's for you and me too. Her coming is just a bonus."

"I know." He smiled at her, hoping she saw that he wasn't upset with her. "I just worry about you, Nora. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Bah. No need to worry about me. I'm tough." She grinned at him, but he worried it was just a mask. Before he could confront her about it, she continued. "Besides, I'm trying to listen to your advice. I'm not telling Jaune to get to third base with her or anything. What's wrong with a little dinner and movie among friends?"

The idea was sound. It could easily be an enjoyable night with friends. That didn't make his worry stop. Still, if Ren gave up every time he worried about something, he wouldn't be here, dating his best friend.

"Alright." He nodded his head. "I see your point. Just… go easy on her if Jaune invites her?"

"Promise." Nora held her pinky out to her boyfriend, and he wrapped his own around hers.

* * *

Ruby wasn't sure what to expect when Neon asked if she could come over to study. She half-expected the bright haired woman to bring a movie, or a six pack of beer. But no, Neon came over with actual homework and, and she sat on the couch with Ruby, quietly working.

 _Never thought I'd see her so… calm._ Ruby thought, as she glanced up at Neon. Ruby hadn't known a lot about her before New Years, but every encounter felt like it was teaching her something new about Yang's best friend.

Neon was a music major. She was studying 'Commercial Music,' which was basically a class about producing modern music, like rock or pop. Neon explained that she wanted to be a songwriter when she graduated, and she even had a few songs up online with mostly positive reception.

Not only that, Ruby found that Neon really wasn't that bad to hang around, or even study beside. Neon barely spoke beyond a question or a snarky comment at her homework. They just quietly worked on their assignments for the first hour, allowing Weiss to remind Ruby what she needed to study up on.

Weiss was the most academically focused. She would have been out to study, instead of Ruby, but Weiss stated plainly that she didn't want to deal with Neon. That left Ruby to study, with Weiss barking in her ear every few minutes.

Sadly the silence did not last forever. Ruby caught Neon staring at one point, and the crimsonette looked back at her friend.

"Well?" Neon asked, fixing her cyan glasses.

"Um, well what?" Ruby replied, sweating under the predatory glimmer in Neon's eyes.

"Tell me how it went! I want to know all the deets! What did you two talk about? Was he nice? Was he a creep? Was he, like, creepy but in a charming way, or like in a Marilyn Manson kind of way? Did he pay for lunch? What did he have for lunch?"

Ruby blinked at the barrage of questions, before slowly replying. "Uh… Quiche?"

"You guys talked about quiche? Boring," the other woman gagged.

"N-no, he had quiche. We talked about, well, lots of stuff. Superhero movies, comics, me being at Beacon."

"You like superhero movies? Why am I just finding this out now?!" Neon pouted, to which Ruby chuckled nervously at.

"Guess it just slipped my mind..."

"So what cha thinking? Boyfriend material?" Neon questioned with a grin.

"W-what?" Ruby's eyes widened, and her pencil slipped from her fingers as Neon giggled.

"This Jaune guy! Is he boyfriend material? Like, was he hot or not? Swipe left or right?"

Ruby blinked a couple of times, processing the questions. Her cheeks began to glow a dark shade of red as she rubbed her neck. She turned her eyes away. "I don't know about boyfriend material. I mean, he's nice, but…"

The young woman wondered how much Neon knew about her past. How much did Yang tell her? Did she know about Adam? Or Sun? " _Yang? Hello?"_ Ruby called out to her sister, but she didn't get a response.

"But he's kind of goofy-looking? Buck teeth? Pasty skin? Big nose? Big scar on his face?" Neon listed, tilting her head with a curious look in her eyes.

"What? No!"

"Ah. That's fair. A scar would actually be kinda hot," the orange-haired woman muttered.

"I mean, he's… We've just met, and…" Ruby called out to Yang again, but she didn't get a response. None of the alts were answering her, leaving Ruby alone with Neon. " _Where is everyone?!"_ No response.

The crimson-haired girl took a deep breath, and sighed. She stared at Neon as she bit her lower lip. "Do you remember Adam?" Neon shook her head, remaining uncharacteristically quiet. "He's my ex-boyfriend. He wasn't… He wasn't a very good person." Ruby felt her body shaking. Neon was the first person, the first real person to hear about Adam since Ruby left Patch...

"Oh. I understand." Ruby could tell Neon was left hoping for details, but instead of asking, the emerald-eyed woman smiled. "You know, I've never dated anyone before."

She was trying to change the subject. Trying to shield Ruby from the pain of remembering Adam. It was a simple gesture, yet to Ruby, it spoke volumes. The two women stared at one another as Neon crossed her arms and smiled. It wasn't a smug smirk, or a cattish grin. It was a sympathetic smile. The kind friends gave each other.

"Really? No boyfriend?"

"Heh. No, no boyfriend. Closest thing I got to a boyfriend is my roommate. Flynt. You remember him, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Ruby had no idea who he was. "Flynt's a good guy…?" She tried not to frame it like a question, and thankfully Neon didn't notice.

"Right? Anyways, he's, like, my best boy. He and I have known each other for, like, five-ever. But would I ever want to date him? Bleck. It'd be like dating my brother. Gross."

"I get that."

"Yeah… Um." Neon chewed on her lip, staring at Ruby. "I'm sorry. About Adam. I-I won't ask about it if you don't want me to, but… I'm sorry." Ruby nodded her head, a small smile pulling on her lips as she saw a new side to Neon.

"Thanks, Neon." The two stared at one another, and she felt something familiar light up in her chest. Like she had found someone who really cared about her. It was a great feeling. Like a warmth in her chest. She felt it first with Jaune, and now she was feeling it again with Neon.

"No probs." Neon shrugged her shoulder, before lifting a single finger. She waved it at Ruby as her smile vanished with a firm scowl. "If Jaune, or anyone, treats you wrong, you give me a call, alright? I'll pick you up, and kick their ass. Not neccesarily in that order."

Ruby laughed at the reminder, nodding her head. "Right. Promise."

The two returned to studying, a new air of comfort and ease in the air. As soon as Ruby looked back at her book, a pair of familiar voices greeted her.

" _Way to go, Rubes!"_ Yang beamed. _"You were great out there!"_

" _Yang? What happened?! Where were you?!"_ Ruby shouted.

" _The dunce wanted us all to keep quiet,"_ grumbled Weiss. _"She wanted to see how you dealt with Neon."_

" _And you did great, sis. Seriously, A plus!"_

Ruby should have known. Yang was the kind of teacher who taught people to swim by tossing them into a pool, literally in Ruby's case. _"You left me to talk to her all by myself!"_

" _I did,"_ Yang proudly confessed. _"And you did great!"_

The silver-eyed woman wanted to be upset, but she just quietly sighed and took it in stride. Yang was right. Ruby held a conversation with Neon all by herself. She even brought up Adam without relying on the alts. Maybe she should be proud of herself.

" _Right. Can we now get back to studying?"_ Weiss sighed. _"Please?"_

" _Right. Sorry, Weiss."_

" _Sorry, Weiss-cream."_

* * *

Nora walked into Jaune's room with a frown on her face. Her phone was in her hand, currently dying with a low battery. "Stupid charger," she grumbled. Hers was busted, but she was sure Jaune wouldn't mind loaning her his.

The blond was already at work, leaving his room empty for her to explore. "Where is that thing?" she mumbled, looking around. That's when she noticed something laying on Jaune's bed. "Uh oh." He'd left his phone by his pillow. "That's not good."

She picked the phone up and unlocked it with a swipe of her finger. _Jaune is really bad at making passwords,_ she thought. There were no new messages, or any missed calls. Jaune would probably be on his way back as soon as he realized he had left it.

That's when a thought popped into Nora's mind. She turned to the bedroom's door, almost expecting her ninja boyfriend to be staring at her, but he wasn't there. She tapped on Jaune's contacts and scrolled down to find Ruby's name.

 _Ruby seems like a nice girl… And it'd be a good thing if I just gave her a call on my phone, right? That way Jaune wouldn't have to worry about inviting her…_

She could practically hear Ren's voice in her ear. He was probably wearing an angel outfit, with wings and a halo. He'd probably sit on her shoulder, wagging his fingers. _Now, Nora. You know you shouldn't do that! You might get hurt, or Ruby might be scared of you._

But another thought replied, like a little Succubus Nora on her other shoulder. _Do it! Do it!_

Nora shook her head, pushing her imagination aside. The truth of the matter was that Nora just wanted to help Jaune. It was that simple. She wanted to meet Ruby because she wanted to make sure the woman was good for Jaune. She wanted to invite her, because she wanted her friend to be happy.

She remembered Ren's warning. She knew her boyfriend wouldn't have approved, but… what harm could it do? Nora promised herself all she'd do was invite the girl over, and that was it. No matchmaking, no pushing, just a simple invite.

Nora quickly sent Ruby's phone number to herself, and she quickly called the number. She put Jaune's phone down as she waited, glancing at the doorway as if Ren was going to appear any second.

 _Come on, come on, come on!_

* * *

Peace and quiet was not something Weiss had much of. It was simply how life was. She was literally nothing more than a voice in Ruby's head. Her existence was nothing but noise and thought. Still, she made the best of what she could.

After Yang's friend left, Weiss was adamant about studying by herself. It was good that Ruby looked over the textbook, but it was Weiss who was responsible for the group's grades. Ruby understood and the two switched, leaving Weiss in control of the body while Ruby rested inside.

It had felt like such a long time since Weiss had been in control. She lifted her arms up and down, adjusting to the sensation, before looking over the room. It was one thing to look at it through Ruby's eyes. It was another thing entirely to see it with her own.

 _Not that these are my eyes,_ she reminded herself. She stood up and prepared a cup of coffee for herself, before walking back to the couch. She opened the book as she left the cup on the table, with a coaster under it, of course.

 _Wished we had a proper desk to study at,_ Weiss thought. She adjusted herself to be as comfortable as possible as she quietly studied.

Weiss quietly read through the text, memorizing what she learned. When Ruby needed it, Weiss would relay the answers to the girl and she'd learn what Weiss did. It was difficult to describe the action. Despite being different personalities, they did still shared Ruby's brain.

She sat on the couch for over thirty minutes when Ruby's phone rang on the table. Weiss glared at the device, picking it up and answering without even looking at the number.

"Hi, is this Ruby Rose?"

"Speaking. Who is this?" she asked, her eyes still combing over the book.

"Hi there! My name's Nora Valkyrie, and I-"

"I don't want whatever it is you are selling. Do not call this number again." Weiss ended the call with a press of a button. _Damn telemarketers._ Before she could even put the phone down, it rang again.

She glared at the unknown number. It was the same girl as before. Weiss rolled her eyes and let it continue to ring. Ruby and Yang had procrastinated long enough. They needed to study before the semester started. Those two had all of break to goof off. Now was Weiss' time.

The phone stopped ringing finally and Weiss sighed in relief. Until it just started ringing again. Weiss frowned, reaching down to pick up the phone again. _That same number…_

She answered it, but before she could speak, the woman on the other end did. "I'm not trying to sell you anything! I'm Nora! I'm Jaune's friend!"

"Jaune?" Weiss didn't recognize the name at first. She didn't know any Jaune, before realization dawned on her. The call was meant for Ruby. "Oh! Right. Jaune. Just give me a second." She put the call on hold before the other girl could even respond.

" _Ruby! Ruby!"_

" _What?"_

" _Someone is calling for you. They know Jaune."_

" _What?!"_ Ruby quickly pushed Weiss, and the alt frowned as she relinquished control and allowed Ruby to take back her body. Weiss quietly watched as Ruby stumbled back into control.

Weiss lingered, listening to Ruby talk to the stranger. She wasn't sure why she bothered. It wasn't as if the conversation had anything to do with her. Perhaps she was simply curious.

* * *

"Hi! Ruby Rose! I mean, I'm Ruby Rose! Uh... Hi!" Ruby wanted to smack herself in the face. _What's wrong with me?_ She quietly wondered.

"Uh, hey. I'm Nora?"

Ruby combed through her memories for the name, before her eyes widened. "Oh! Jaune's friend, right? He mentioned you."

"Did he now?" The young woman could hear chuckling from the other side of the phone, before Nora spoke. "He's been mentioning you a lot since your playdate."

"D-date?" Ruby's eyes widened as Nora laughed again.

"Play date! I said play date," the woman corrected with a giggle. "Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with us! Jaune had this awesome idea to invite you over for a little party. Just the three of us, plus one Ruby! A little dinner, a little double feature action. How's that sound?"

"Really?" Ruby's eyes widened, and she felt a soft tinge of warmth poke at her cheeks. "I mean, okay. Yeah, that sounds like fun."

" _If it's his idea, why isn't he calling?"_ Weiss wondered, clearly annoyed to have her study session interrupted.

Ruby tried to shoo Weiss away for a moment, but the alt did have a point. "Um, are you sure it's okay I come over? I mean, is Jaune sure? We just met, and-"

"Totally! He'd love to have you here!" Nora shouted back. Ruby could practically hear the woman beaming. "He just didn't have a chance to call you himself. He forgot his phone at home. You know him, total dork," she explained.

"Heh. That does sound like him." Ruby chewed her lower lip, hesitation still holding her back. "And you and your boyfriend are okay with me coming over? I mean, I know you three all live together, and I don't want to intrude! If you want, I can come over some other time, or something…"

"It's no problem! Really! Renny and I would love to have you here!"

That was all Ruby needed to hear. She didn't have any other reservations about going, beyond the general nervousness she felt around strangers, but Nora and Ren were Jaune's friends! He talked about them like they were his family. If he got along with them, so could she.

"Alright. Thanks for having me! When's the party?"

"Awesome! I'll come down tonight to pick you up around seven! Text me your address, kay?" Ruby's eyes widened, but before she could even say anything, Nora was hanging up. "Kay, see you tonight! Bye!"

The call ended, and Ruby was left with her alts to process the information.

" _Well, looks like you've got another date on your hands,"_ Yang commented. She tried to make the whole thing was some kind of joke, but all the girls could hear the shock in her voice.

" _Tonight."_ Blake repeated the word with a hint of frustration. _"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ruby? It's sudden."_

" _Not to mention we have work to do!"_ Weiss grumbled. _"Are you forgetting about our homework?"_

The silver-eyed woman glanced at the book on the table with a pout. "We can just do it later."

" _There isn't much of break left,"_ Blake reminded. _"Today, tomorrow, and the day after. Three days. Two and a half, really. That's all that's left of break."_

" _That is hardly enough time to prepare us for Goodwitch's class!"_ Weiss angrily huffed. _"Ruby, call that woman and reschedule."_

But she didn't want to. She wanted to see Jaune again. How could she not? He was funny, and nice, and now they were going to have dinner and watch movies together? She used to do stuff like that back in Patch with her friends! She'd hadn't had the chance since moving to Vale… She technically had dinner with her alts, and technically watched movies together, but it was hardly the same…

" _Ruby?"_ Yang watched her sister, waiting for her to speak.

"I want to go." Ruby uttered the words slowly, but firmly. No one raised any opposition. Blake silently bowed, Yang nodded her head and cracked a joke, while Weiss threw her arms up in frustration and walked away.

* * *

Nora sighed in relief, before staring at her phone. _I did the right thing, right?_ She waited for an answer, only to steel her nerves. _Course I did! She's going to have a great time, meaning Jaune's gonna have a great time!_

True, Nora was kind of confused by how weird that conversation went. One minute Ruby's kind of rude, the next she's like a female Jaune in terms of awkwardness. Weird. She shrugged it off, though.

 _Jaune'll be happy, and things can start going back to normal…_

Normal. Now there was a world with little meaning to the ginger-haired woman. It'd been so long since the quartet became a trio that Depressed Jaune was almost normal. Well, Nora refused to let that battle go unfought.

Nora was going to help Ruby and Jaune end up together, even if she had to do a little bit of lying here and there. _It's not BAD lying. It's not like I'm saying 'I didn't forge my entry papers!' It's just little white lie. I'll make it up to both of them. And Ren._

The young woman shook her doubts from her mind. Her eyes lit up as she smirked, pointing a finger to the sky. "Commence Operation…" She paused, staring at the ceiling for a good name. "Uh… Ooh! Rose Knight! Yeah! Operation Rose Knight!"

 _First step, finding the right movies! And I have just the perfect ones in mind!_

* * *

Jaune stretched his arms up as he walked down the hall. He took out his keys, and pulled the door open, smiling as he heard Ren cooking by the stove.

Ren and Nora's place was a pretty nice place. A kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room where they had a table set in front of a large TV. Plus one balcony so you could look out to admire the city. It was a little tight with Jaune there, but it was still nice.

Once again, he thought about how thankful he was to have Ren and Nora in his life. They really were the best..

"Hey, Ren! How's dinner?"

"Good. Any problems at work?" The young man didn't take his eyes off the food he was preparing, but Jaune knew he was paying attention.

"Besides forgetting my phone? Nope. All good." Jaune smiled at his friend, before noticing the distinct lack of Nora in the room. Usually the woman was sitting at the table, staring at her boyfriend as he worked. "Where's Nora?"

"She said she needed to pick something up. Honestly, I just think she's trying to avoid doing homework," Ren replied. "She should be here soon. Will you help me set the table?"

Jaune nodded his head, walking over to help. "What's for dinner?"

"Tortellini soup. Nora insisted on a big dinner tonight."

"Huh. Any reason why?"

"I assumed she was just hungry." The raven-haired man shrugged as Jaune chuckled. The blond reached into the cupboard to take out a trio of bowls, plus the utensils they were going to need. He walked to the dinner table as the door was unlocked and a familiar voice greeted the boys.

"Renny! I'm home! And look what I brought! Can we keep it?"

Jaune felt a jolt of terror go through his body. He really hoped Nora didn't find a rat or raccoon on the way home again and decided to adopt it. It took Ren forever to convince her to let the last two animals go free.

When he lifted his head to look at the beaming ginger, he stood corrected. It most certainly wasn't a rat, nor was it a racoon. It was Ruby Rose, smiling at Jaune in a cute red hoodie, black skirt, and big, dark boots at the end of her legs.

She smiled at Jaune with a wave of her hand as his blue eyes bounced between the two girls. Nora's smirk was all the answer he needed for the 'How, why, and who' that popped into his mind.

* * *

"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby smiled at the boy, yet something inside her cringed. He didn't look happy to see her. If anything, he looked surprised.

Ruby glanced at Nora, who stood beside her with a wide grin. "Nora drove me over. She invited me over for a party? O-or something? Um… I can go, if this is awkward." She pointed to the door she just came through, when Jaune lifted up his hands.

"No! No, you're good. Sorry. I just didn't expect you so soon. Dinner's not even ready yet," he explained. He quickly put down the plates that were in his hand and he walked over to her. "Here let me take your coat!"

"I'm… not wearing a coat," Ruby replied, slipping her hands into her hoodie's pockets.

"Oh. Right." Jaune scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed as Nora patted Ruby's back.

"How's about you check out our place, Rubes? Feel free to look around."

The energetic young woman snapped her fingers, and beamed at Jaune as Nora gently pushed Ruby towards the blond. The crimson-haired woman didn't even have the chance to stand her ground. The other girl was deceptively strong…

"In fact, why don't you show our guest around, Jaune? We'll call you when dinner is ready."

"I… Sure." Jaune nodded his head. "Come on, Ruby. I'll show you my bedroom."

There was a moment of silence. The only thing that could be heard was Nora snorting, before she began to laugh outright. The man in the kitchen, Ren, Ruby assumed, sighed as Jaune smacked his forehead.

"Nora! Not like that!"

It took Ruby a moment, before she felt her cheeks warm up. She was lucky all of her alts were leaving her alone for the night. If Yang heard that, she probably would have tried to throttle poor Jaune.

Jaune did what he could to salvage his image as Nora giggled. She walked past the blond to Ren as Jaune motioned for Ruby to follow him. The two walked down a hall, and entered a room at the very end.

Ruby's eyes widened at the sight of the room. It was pretty cool, she thought. There were posters for some of her favorite movies, and games on the walls. In a corner was a small bed with dark yellow sheets. Across from the bed was a wooden drawer with clothes hanging out of it, and small figurines sitting on top.

The room was also pretty clean, something that surprised Ruby. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but Jaune actually kept his room pretty tidy.

"Wow, this is your room?" She looked around, smiling at the sight. "Cool figures!"

"Thanks." Jaune glanced down the hall, before looking at Ruby. He held up his hands as he began to apologize. "I am really sorry for all of that. I didn't know you were coming tonight-"

"Yeah, I gathered," Ruby replied, trying to brush the whole ordeal off. "I'm sorry, I really don't want to mess up your night. I can go, really, it's okay."

"No! I mean, I wanted you to come over, I just didn't think it'd be tonight. Nora mentioned it this morning, and… Well, I'm just worried I'm the one making things awkward for you."

"Hey, come on, it's not awkward!" Jaune stared at Ruby, and the girl fell under the pressure. "Okay, it's awkward, but that's not on you. I'm socially awkward."

"You're not the only one," he sighed. He sat on his bed and rested his head on his hand. "Can I tell you something kind… embarrassing?" Ruby nodded her head as she sat down beside him. "I've been having a hard time making friends since my girlfriend broke up with me. I mean, I was never really good at it, but it only got worse after things ended between us. Before you came around, Nora and Ren were my only friends."

Ruby immediately understood what Jaune was going through. Almost too well, in fact. She knew what it was like to not have anyone outside a small group of friends… She knew what it was like to be in pain after a relationship ended…

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jaune."

He nodded his head. "We had been dating for four years, before things just… ended for us. I know it's stupid. I mean, lots of people go through break ups, it's just she was my best friend. I knew her since we were kids. Now I don't even get to see her."

Jaune sighed, only to look up as Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. It's okay. I get it." She felt a familiar hesitation try to hold her back, but just like with Neon, she shared a portion of her past. "I've actually had some problems since I broke up with my boyfriend too."

"What? Seriously?" Jaune sat up, arching his brow.

"Yeah. I mean, I've always been kind of socially awkward," she admitted. "But I used to date this guy named Adam back in my hometown. Things between us ended badly, and it kind of affected my whole life. Suddenly I lost touch with all my friends, and… Well, then I moved to Vale for college. I haven't looked back since."

She was underselling the whole thing, but she just didn't feel ready to tell Jaune everything. It'd be hard to have a fun party if all Jaune could think about was how Ruby was abused by her ex-boyfriend. So she kept the details to herself as she gave the short version.

"Course, before you, I didn't really try to make friends. I mostly just kept to myself."

"I'm sorry," he replied, and things were quiet for a moment.

Ruby kicked herself mentally. She felt like she just butchered the mood even worse. What was wrong with her? Why did she tell Jaune that? She met the guy less than a week ago, and now she was just blurting out her past! _Stupid! You've made it even more awkward!_ She thought, only for Jaune to smile at her. It wasn't a happy smile. More melancholic.

"I thought things would never change between my girlfriend and I, and then suddenly… Everything's changed." Ruby nodded her head, and Jaune held his hand out to her. She stared at it as he spoke. "I know how we met was kind of weird, and that this whole night be even weirder, but I want you to know that I had a lot of fun yesterday. It was fun."

The memories flowed into Ruby's head, and she grinned at them. "Yeah. It was fun."

"So you want to stay? I mean, Ren's a great cook, and Nora probably already picked out movies. It's up to you, of course, I just thought it'd be fun."

Ruby chuckled at the blond's flustered nature. He really was awkward, maybe even more than she was. "I'll stay. I'm pretty hungry." Her hand grabbed his, squeezing it in a firm handshake.

"Just wait until you taste my cooking. I'm not half bad myself," Jaune grinned, standing up.

"Great, cause I don't know how to cook I burnt my water once." The two laughed at her joke. Their hands were still connected, and Ruby giggled as Jaune helped her onto her feet. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Jaune! Ruby! Dinner's ready!"

"And that's our que. Coming, Miss Rose?" Jaune opened the door for her, and motioned her down the hall.

"Why, thank you, Mister Arc."

* * *

After the initial awkwardness, Ruby found herself actually having a pretty good time with Jaune and his friends. Nora was a lot like Neon. The two were both friendly, weird, and energetic. Ren, on the other hand, was just as friendly, only at a much slower pace.

"This soup is really good, Ren." Ruby smiled at the older man from across the table. He smiled back, nodding slightly.

"Thank you. It's a simple recipe. I could show you it, if you wanted."

"Heh. Thanks, but it might be a bit above my skill level," she replied, a faint blush on her cheeks. She delivered another spoonful of food to her mouth as Ren glanced at Jaune.

"I don't know about that. You seem very intelligent. You're attending Beacon, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Engineering."

"I'm attending the school as well. I'm in Dr. Shirogane's psychology class."

"Really? I heard he's pretty cool!"

"He's intelligent, if eccentric."

"Has to be better than Miss Goodwitch. She terrifies me," Ruby confessed.

"I've heard stories about her. My condolences."

"Yeesh. The Wicked Witch? Seriously?" Nora shuddered at the teacher's name. "I've heard horror stories about her class…"

"You go to Beacon too?"

"Yep!" Nora beamed, pressing a fist to her chest with pride. "I have no idea what I'm going to major in!"

"Oh. Uh…" Ruby wasn't sure how to respond to that. She glanced at Jaune, and she caught the man's slight frown. He must have noticed her, because he put on a toothy grin.

"So, are the stories true, Rubes? Is Goodwitch as bad as we've heard?" He tried to hide what he was feeling, but she knew he must have been upset.

"Um, she's pretty tough, I guess. Mostly just strict." Ruby couldn't take her eyes off of Jaune at first. _I wonder how uncomfortable he is. Everyone's in college except him… It's probably hard for him,_ she thought. She could only imagine how small and lonely he must have felt.

Ruby turned her eyes around the kitchen, searching for something to change the subject. She found her answer on the fridge. A drawing stuck to the door with a round magnet. "Hey, Jaune, what's that?"

"Huh?" He turned his head.

The drawing was across the spacious room, but even at a distance Ruby picked up two facts about the drawing. The first was that the drawing was made up of four hand drawn figures, each of them smiling at the viewer with weapons in hand. They looked like characters out of a fantasy story. The second was that the drawing was beautifully made, like it was straight out of an animated film.

"Oh. That's just a drawing I made a long time ago. I made it for our Dungeons and Dragons party a long time ago."

"You guys played Dungeons and Dragons?" Ruby blinked, before jumping in her seat as Nora beamed.

"Heck yeah! We used to play all the time! We still do over the weekend. I'm a level 10 half-orc barbarian," Nora declared.

"Here." Ren stood up and walked over to the fridge, taking the magnet off and bringing the paper back to Ruby.

"You drew this…?" Ruby held the drawing in her hand with wide eyes. She wasn't much of an artist, but she still found the drawing to be amazing. The pencil-drawn figures grinned back at her, triumph in their eyes from a recent victory.

There was one girl who stood taller over the other three figures. She had short hair and a large hammer in hand. Ruby glanced at Nora, who posed similarly to the barbarian. It actually looked a lot like her, save for some small tusks that stuck out of the drawing's mouth.

Then there was an elf in robes, wielding small blades in each of his hands. He had long, black hair that as tied up in a ponytail. Of the four, his smile was the smallest. He didn't seemed annoyed or upset, he just appeared calmer than the four.

"Is this Ren?"

"Level 9 Monk. Elf," Ren stated.

"He's badass!" Nora shouted.

Beside the elf was a human with light hair. He wore full body armor, and there was a shield strapped to his back and a sword in hand. He was the most forward of the group, as if he was leading them.

"I usually play DM, but I like to make a party member join the team and help out. Level 7 Paladin. Human." Jaune scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "I was pretty weak compared to everyone else on the team."

"Weak, but essential!" Nora declared, giving the blond a thumbs up.

Ruby chuckled at that, before noticing the last figure. The woman had long, dark hair and she wore simple clothing that still revealed her gorgeous figure. She had a bow in one hand, and in the other was the paladin's hand.

"Is this…?"

"My ex. Yeah." If the answer stung Jaune, he didn't show it. He just smiled. "We were a heck of a party. She was the toughest though. Our Ranger single-handedly carried the team through some dungeons."

"Yeah! This one time, she nailed three crits in a row! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Nora fired her fingers into the air as Ren quietly finished his bowl.

"She had a bow," he reminded.

"Ptew, ptew, ptew, then!"

Ruby laughed at Nora, before looking at Jaune. "You're a really good artist. This is great!"

"Thanks. I try." Jaune smiled back at Ruby, before looking at Nora. "So, Nora, what movies did you get anyways?"

The ginger-haired woman beamed back at Jaune and Ruby, but there was a distinct glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Oh, I got a good one! Asylum of the Damned! One and two! We're gonna have a horror movie double feature!"

"Awesome!" The blond then leaned over to Ruby and whispered, "You ever heard of them?"

Ruby shook her head, but she already had a feeling she wasn't going to enjoy it.

* * *

The movie was… well, it was everything Ruby was afraid it'd be. Yet somehow, also worse.

The intro of the movie made Ruby's skin crawled. It had a group of cops dragging a woman in a straitjacket into an asylum, pushing her towards the nurses and doctors. One of the officers dusted his hands, happy to see the criminal put away.

"Let her rot here. This place is full of her kind. Nothing but rapists, child killers, and degenerates. Wall to wall freaks."

Ruby imagined her mother in a place like this. There were cobwebs and dust, like it was some kind of haunted house, and the orderlies even went as far as molesting the patients. The inmates themselves were insane in the worst possible way, laughing and screaming and threatening to kill everyone at the drop of a hat.

It made her stomach sick, and despite how quiet they had been, the other alternates were still affected. Maybe they felt what Ruby did. If they did, Blake was most vocal about it.

" _This is disgusting,"_ Blake growled, her voice in Ruby's ear.

" _It's just a movie…"_

Eventually the inmates broke free, and took over the mental stabbed and slashed the orderlies, and they laughed with sadistic glee as they hooked innocent guests to electric chairs. They turned the chairs onto their maximum voltage; all cackling as the people were electrocuted to death.

" _They're acting like having a mental diseases turns someone into a demon…"_ Ruby was getting angrier. Her fingers dug into her skirt as her teeth ground against each other. Her jaw clenched as she found it hard to breathe.

"P-please, Becky! I was good to you! I was-AHHH!" The woman dug her knife into the man's side, laughing.

"You're right! You're right!" She wiped her hair with her blood covered hands as she licked her lips. "The voices in my head are in agreement. We don't care."

" _Blake, stop!"_ Ruby begged. She was dissociating. She felt Blake's anger mixing with her own, before overwhelming it, washing over it like a flood. _"Stop!"_

" _I can't take this anymore!"_

"Man, the effects for this movie are so bad," Jaune laughed, only for Ruby to steal his attention. She rose up and suddenly started walking to the door, a hand on her head as the villain of the movie cackled.

"Hey, what's wrong with her? Ruby!" Nora stood up after the woman, but Jaune was the quicker of the two. He took off after the crimsonette as Nora watched in confusion. "Ruby…?"

* * *

Jaune ran after Ruby. He wasn't sure what was wrong with her, only that he wanted to help her. One minute they were watching a B-movie, the next she just stood up and ran out the door. He didn't understand. What happened?

"Ruby!" He tried to be courteous to his neighbors inside the apartment, but he raised his voice every time Ruby ignored him. "Ruby, wait up!" She ran faster, rushing down the stairs as she went.

She was going too fast. Jaune saw her trip on the last step, before falling onto the hard floor between flights. "Ruby!" He ran to her side, crouching down beside her as he looked her over. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"

His hand fell on her arm, only to be smacked away. His eyes widened as she glared at him. It was like whiplash. One minute Jaune thought he knew Ruby, the next he felt like he meeting her for the first time all over again. The glare in her eyes was… intimidating. His eyes watched her push him away as she sat up.

"Don't. Don't touch me," she growled.

"A-alright. Sorry."

"I'm going home," she huffed, closing her eyes as she sat against the wall. "I need to go."

"Alright. I'll drive you."

"No. It's fine. I'll take a cab." She tried to stand up on her own two feet, but Jaune rose up to block her.

"You sure, Rubes? I mean, that fall looked a little nasty… I'm totally cool with driving you home."

"No." She threw the word down and glared at Jaune. Her silver eyes, usually so warm and kind, were dulled. Even cold. "Go back to your friends and finish your movie. I just want to go home."

"Is… is that what this is about? The movie? If you didn't like it, we can stop it! I don't… I'm worried about you leaving."

"You can't stop me from leaving!" She practically hissed the words at him, as if daring him to challenge her. "Get out of my way, Jaune. I don't want to be here."

"Can I at least get an explanation? I'd like to know what I did wrong before you walk out." Jaune replied, his own temper rising for a moment. His brow wrinkled as he glared at her, clearly frustrated.

"You want an explanation? Fine. That movie wasn't just bad. It was disgusting. It was insulting. It was trash!" Ruby explained.

"I-I mean it was bad, but-"

"It was crap!" she accused. "They act like the mentally impaired are some kind of monsters or something! That just because someone might have schizophrenia, or OCD, they're going to kill someone, or worse."

Jaune had never seen Ruby so enraged. Even the first night they met, she was more scared than angry. But here and now? Ruby seemed ready to punch someone. She clenched her jaws and ground her teeth as she shook her head in disgust.

"It's…" Ruby bit her lip, seething with rage as she began to pace back and forth.

"I never knew you felt so strongly about how those people are treated," Jaune admitted.

"Of course, you didn't. You don't know anything about me." He wasn't sure if the statement was meant to hurt, or if Ruby was just stating a simple fact. He looked at her, expecting regret, or even guilt, but he didn't see any. She just glared at him. "I'm going home."

"If you want to go, then fine." Jaune nodded his head, taking a deep breath. "You're right. I don't know why you, but I want to." He moved out of her way, and he stared into her silver eyes. "Ruby, I'm sorry… I'm sorry the movie upsetted you, and I'm sorry I didn't know it would. I'm sorry. If you want to leave, okay. I'll even pay for your cab, but if you stay, I promise I'll make it up to you."

Ruby didn't move. She just glared at Jaune like she didn't understand what he was saying. "Why do you even care? We barely know one another."

"I know enough. I know you love cookies, I know you love superhero movies, I know you're majoring in engineering under the scariest teacher as Beacon, and I know that you don't like talking about your past." He shrugged his shoulders as she continued to stare at him. "I don't know. For me, that's enough to say you're my friend, and I don't want to see you upset."

"You're too trusting. That kind of attitude will only get you hurt," Ruby scoffed.

"Maybe. But you haven't left yet." Jaune held his hand out to her, desperate for her touch. "Stay. Let's talk this out."

* * *

He was right. Blake hadn't left yet. She wasn't sure why, honestly.

Walking away would have been easy. He even offered to pay for the taxi. So why didn't she walk away? Perhaps she felt guilty.

Blake didn't mean to rip control out of Ruby's hands. But she refused to just sit by as they were forced to watch that trite. Ruby wasn't in pain anymore. Blake saved her from that. The young woman was just asleep.

Now Blake was the one in control, and the first thing she did was leave. She couldn't stand listening to that film. It was little more than exploitation. It insulted her to her deepest core.

Summer wasn't Blake's mother. As an alternate personality, Blake didn't have family. She was a voice in Ruby's head, but so much more than that. An alt's purpose was to protect the main personality from trauma and pain.

Blake refused to fail Ruby again.

"Fine. You can talk, but I reserve the right to leave whenever I want." She walked past him, but she didn't step down the stairs. She just waited for him to make his point as she pondered.

A sense of responsibility… That was why she was here. She wanted to protect Ruby. Maybe more than any of the other alts. Weiss was responsible for making sure Ruby's grades were good. Yang was the friendly, and supportive older sister.

But Blake was her protector. She was meant to guard Ruby from all that would hurt her. Whether or not that included Jaune was yet to be seen.

"Alright… Well, I'd like it if you stayed. You're obviously upset, and I want to help you feel better."

"Why?" Blake sighed, crossing her arms as she kept her eyes on the stairs.

"Because we're friends."

Words. Simple as that. They sounded nice, but in the end they didn't have any weight.

"Try again."

"What?"

"Try again," she growled. _Ruby's too trusting._ Who was Jaune, really? She had no memories of his supposed heroics. She had no evidence that he wasn't just a wolf in sheep's clothing. There was no reason she shouldn't just walk away.

"Fine. Because it's the right thing to do!" Jaune raised his voice, and Blake wasn't sure if she should have been intimidated or curious. "I was raised to always do the right thing, and help others. That hasn't changed."

 _He's too much like Ruby,_ Blake thought. Reality was bound to come crashing down on him, just like it did for them. "How can I trust you?" she muttered. She hadn't meant for him to hear, but he did.

"I'm not like your dad, or your ex-boyfriend…"

Those words caused Blake's eyes to widen. He knew? How did he know about Adam? Did Ruby tell him? Why would she do that?! Questions raced through her mind, leaving her speechless as Jaune continued.

"Whatever they did, I promise it won't happen again."

Blake felt something touch her face, and she dug her nails into her palms at the sensation. A tear. A tear was traveling down Ruby's face, and it came from Blake. She wiped her eyes quickly, damning her weakness.

 _Why?_ That was the first question that popped into her mind, but she wasn't sure what she was asking. Why did Jaune know about Adam or Tai? Why did she feel a twisting in her gut? Why was she still here…?

"Never bring them up again," she demanded.

"Alright… I'm sorry." Jaune stepped closer to Blake. "But I meant it. This isn't Patch. I just want to help you."

Blake heard those words before. Adam told them to her, before he crushed Ruby's heart in his hand.

Was Jaune any different? Maybe. Ruby thought so. Why else would she have told him about their past?

 _This should be her choice,_ Blake realized. The alt was Ruby's protector, but that didn't mean she could take Ruby's freedom from her. She refused to be like Adam.

Blake took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her mind melted back into place. She found where Ruby slept, and she pushed her sleeping consciousness back into place. When their eyes opened up again, it'd be Ruby in control, not Blake.

She would watch and wait. If Jaune was really who Ruby said he was, Blake would probably never see him again. No point in two protectors.

That was fine by Blake.

* * *

The first thing Ruby felt was a feeling of weightlessness. Then she realized she was falling towards the ground, and reality hit her like a cannon.

She had stumbled in place, her legs buckling under her weight. Something pulled on her arm, and she fell against something soft and warm.

"Whoa! Rubes, you okay?"

She opened her eyes, and she saw Jaune looking down at her. Her memories came back in an instance, and she felt a mix of emotions.

"Jaune…" Guilt for letting Blake take control. Anger at the alternate for taking it. Dread that Jaune saw her for the freak she was. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning her eyes away from him.

"Hey, don't sweat it." He smiled at her. "Girls fall for me all the time."

She didn't say anything at first. He just smiled at her. Then she laughed, and he laughed with her. It wasn't a great sounding laugh. It was weak, more like a snort really, but it didn't matter. Ruby knew that Jaune didn't hate her.

It was a welcomed relief.

"Come on, easy does it." He helped her onto her feet, and they stared at one another. "I'm really sorry, Ruby."

"Sorry? For what? I'm the one that messed up." She looked at the walls of the room. They were in the middle of some stairs. _Did Blake try running off…?_

"For hurting you! I didn't know that movie would bother you so much. That's on me. I just hope you can forgive me…?"

She scoffed, and Jaune looked hurt for a moment. "No. It's not you. It's me. I just… a freak," she sighed.

"Hey. The only normal people are the ones you don't know well enough," Jaune replied. "You fit in fine here, if you ask me."

"Your roomates probably think I'm crazy."

"We live with Nora. Trust me, this is nothing. She's brought raccoons to the house before."

Ruby giggled at that imagery, a smile forming on her lips, but she quickly tried to hide it. She brushed her hair from her eyes as she mumbled, "I'm sorry. It's just… asylums, crazy people… Stuff like that gets to me, I guess."

"It's okay." His hand fell on her shoulder, and she followed it to look the blond man in his azure eyes. "You don't need to explain. I promise, it's okay."

At every turn she made to feel sorry for herself, Jaune blocked her. He made a joke, he made her laugh, he did everything he could to be there for her. With every word and smile, Ruby felt her spirit rise.

"I'm sorry," she muttered again.

"I'm sorry too," he replied. His hand slipped from her shoulder, but hovered between them. "Like I said, if you want to go, you can, I won't stop you, but if you want to stay and try to make something of the night, well…"

* * *

Nora sat on the couch, glaring at the paused movie. The slasher villain was currently machete deep in some teenage douchebag, but the young woman couldn't care less. She glared at the screen, blaming the movie for her frustration.

 _Stupid movie…!_ It had felt like such a foolproof plan. Rent a scary movie, Ruby cuddles up with Jaune, they get together. Pyrrha wouldn't let go of Jaune whenever the four saw horror movies together!

She never meant for Ruby to leave…

And the worst part was that there was nothing Nora could do about it. Jaune chased after Ruby to help. If Nora went, she'd probably make the whole situation worse.

No, the worst part was probably her boyfriend. He sat beside her, and she knew he was just waiting for the right moment to scold her. ' _Stupid Nora. Dumb ol' Nora. Messed up again, I see… I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.'_ That's what she predicted she was going to hear from him.

"Do you want some tea?" he inquired, making her glare at him.

"Really?" she sighed. "Can I do something right tonight?!" Nora groaned in anger, burying her face in her hands as Ren raised his brow.

"I'm sorry?"

"No, I'm sorry! I just… I was just trying to help," she huffed, hitting her knee with a tight fist. "Clearly I messed up."

"Nora…"

"No, it makes sense. I couldn't help Pyrrha stay, and now I've scared Ruby away. What is wrong with me?!" The fellow redhead had been one of her closest friends. They grew up together! Everything felt so perfect when the four were together, and now what?

Ren had told Nora before that blaming herself was wrong, but what was Nora supposed to do now? There was no one else to blame.

"Nora."

"What?!" She glared at her boyfriend, only for him to hand a mug to her. She took it, confused at the warm drink. It was a hot chocolate with marshmallows floating in it, gently bobbing in the chocolate sea.

"I'm not going to scold you. I'm not going to tell you what you did wrong. I'm not going to tell you what to do next. All I want is to help you calm down and think this through." She stared at him with a blurry gaze as he quietly sipped his tea.

"I… Really?"

He nodded his head.

She blinked, before she lifted an arm to wipe her eyes. Nora sighed loudly, and closed her eyes. "I'm… not very subtle, am I?"

"As subtle as grenades tied to a hammer."

"I just wanted to help!" She looked at Ren, desperation in her eyes. "Is that so crazy?!"

"Of course not. Everyone wants to help their friends."

"But everytime I try to, I just mess up."

"That's not true." He sipped his tea. "You've helped me plenty of times." He smiled at her, and she tried to return the gesture, but she wasn't ready just yet.

"What if I just cost Jaune a friend…?" Ren didn't reply, and she scoffed with a bitter chuckle. "I'm asking for your help, Dr. Renny."

"We'll help him."

Nora nodded her head, before turning her head to the doorway. "And if they do come back?"

"Apologize and move on." That sounded so easy, Nora thought, but she wondered if it would be.

"Ren?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks…" She felt his lips touch her cheek, and his warm breath against her skin. "Always."

It didn't take long for Ruby and Jaune to return. They walked through the door and by the time it closed behind them, Nora put her drink down and leapt towards the two.

"Ruby! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to make you lea-" She was silenced as Ruby gave her a quick hug, squeezing her a moment.

"It's okay. It's my fault, really. Asylums… They-"

"Hey, don't worry about it." She lifted her arms up to hug Ruby back. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry."

"We're both sorry," Nora giggled. "Deal?"

"Deal." The two young women pulled apart from one another, and Nora glared at the TV.

"Alright, no more movie." Ruby opened her mouth to argue, but Nora put a finger in the air. "No buts. Okay?"

"Okay, but what do you guys want to do for the rest of the night?" Ren cleared his throat and the three turned to face the young man.

"Perhaps a game of charades then?"

* * *

"Ooh, ooh! A maid! A sexy maid!"

Ren shook his head, before he continued to sweep the ground, miming that he had a vacuum in his hand. Jaune, on the other hand, continued to fire his imaginary guns into the air.

"First person shooters! Overwatch! Cannons!"

Jaune shook his head, before he snapped his fingers, grinning. He sat down on the ground and began to pretend he was rowing a boat, kicking himself around the room.

"Oh! Ghostbusters 2! Ghostbusters 2!"

"She's got it!" Jaune grinned, jumping onto his feet with a card in his hand.

He handed it to Nora, who glared at it with a scowl on her face. Ren sighed, standing up as he nodded his head in further confirmation. The answer the boys were looking for was, in fact, Ghostbusters 2.

"That's five for Ruby and I, three for you and Ren."

Nora made a show of dramatically cursing the charade gods, but honestly?

It was the most fun she had losing in a long, long while.

 **END**

I'm late updating, and I am sorry. (Bows my head) Sorry, folks. My bad. I stayed up until 3AM to try and get this story done as soon as I could.

This chapter sure had a lot drama in it, huh? I was happy to end it on a funny, humorous note. Fun fact, Ruby and Jaune's Ghostbusters 2 answer actually made a lot of sense. The two watched a certain cartoon when they were kids, and that sealed their victory.

I want to go over something before I say goodbye.

I want to thank all the people who want me to update the story faster. Really, it's very sweet to know you want me to. Thank you. Sadly, I'm working two jobs at the moment, and I have a lot of other stuff I need to work on for my Pat-reon. Polls, prompts, all that good stuff.

I'm TRYING to update faster. I moved the end of the month updates to the twenty-fifth to ease my way into that. I clearly still have a lot of work to do.

The best ways to make me update faster? Well, donating to my Pat-reon is a simple answer. It might be kind of selfish, or stupid, but it honestly is. If I got more money from my , I wouldn't need to work so much on my actual jobs. I could devote more time to writing this story. Or even if my Patrons just asked me to update this faster.

Another way you can help me update faster without paying a cent? Leave a review. Tell me how much you're enjoying the story. It helps, it really does.

Secondly, I want to explain Blake a bit. She was one of the hardest characters to translate into this story. Ghira and Kali aren't her parents in this world, and there are no Fanus. That said, she isn't too off from the canon one. She still has scars from Adam, and her desire for better Faunus rights was turned into better rights for those afflicted by mental disorders. Just imagine that movie with all Faunus villains, and it might help you see why she flipped out.

Thirdly, Dr. Shirogane is a reference to Persona 4, specifically my version of Yu Narukami. He took Naoto's last name, moved to America, and became a teacher at Beacon. That's my head canon. No nyeh. (Sticks out tongue)

Finally, the title is a reference to the saying 'The path to hell is paved with good intentions.' Case you missed that.

So long, folks. Stay strong, be safe, and know that you are loved. See ya next chapter.

Next Update: June 25th, 2018.


	5. A Stranger Named Jaune

**A Stranger Named Jaune**

It had been one week since Ruby had met Nora and Ren. Since then, Ruby and Jaune had become even closer. Not even school kept the two apart for long. They always found their way to each other, always making time for their new friend. The two had only known each other for a couple of weeks, yet they saw each other as best friends.

"That was delicious," Ruby moaned, rubbing her stomach as Jaune opened the door for her. She walked inside her apartment, followed by the blond. "I never knew there was a frozen yogurt place right around the corner."

"It's awesome, right?"

"Mmmhm!" Ruby held a large cup of the cool treat, biting into a spoonful of it as Jaune closed the door. "Mmm, their strawberry is so good!"

"I can't believe you've never been to the place before."

Ruby filled her mouth with the sugary, fruity dessert as her mind really thought about that comment. Before Jaune came into her life, she never went out. She'd make a few trips to the grocery store, Yang would visit a club or two, but nothing like this. Ever since she met him, she felt more adventurous and outgoing. Granted, those adventures were just eating out at a new restaurant, but still.

It was a nice change of pace.

"Um… Hey, Jaune?" He looked at her with a smile on his face. She felt her cheeks warm up, even as the cold yogurt chilled her lips. "Thanks. I mean, I doubt being a tour guide is exciting. You could probably be doing cooler things than showing me around the city I've lived in for months, but… thanks."

"Ruby, are you kidding me?" He chuckled, taking a bite of his own yogurt. "I love hanging out with you. You give me an excuse to visit all my favorite places, and you're one of the coolest girls I've ever met."

"R-really? Me? Cool?" Her eyes widened. It'd been years since anyone but her sister called her that.

"Yeah! I mean, you're funny, quirky, smart, I love hanging out with you."

"I love hanging out with you too!" Ruby beamed. "You're probably the funniest guy I've ever hung out with."

"Really?" His eyes widened this time, and Ruby chuckled. He looked… well, cute wasn't the word, but he looked really funny when he was surprised.

"Really." The two smiled at each other, and Ruby was reminded yet again how nice it was to have a friend like Jaune in her life. It reminded her of Patch, before her whole life went to hell there. It was all the best parts of being a kid.

"T-thanks, Rubes." And she liked being called that by him. It wasn't the most creative nickname, but it felt nice to hear Jaune call her that.

"No problem." Ruby smiled at Jaune, before returning to her dessert. The two quietly continued to eat. Neither said anything, but neither needed to. The silence was a natural change of pace as the two enjoyed each other's company.

It was a nice, quiet moment that was inevitably ended by Yang's voice. _"Wow, you're still hanging out with him? How long did you two spend at that restaurant?"_

" _Oh! N-not long. Just a couple of hours. Then we had some dessert. Jaune took me out to this nice frozen yogurt place, and we sort of hung out around there for a while…"_

" _For hours?"_ Ruby could hear Yang judge her. The young woman frowned, staring into her yogurt. _"Haven't you and Jaune hung out every day since school started?"_

" _Yeah… So?"_

Yang was silent, something that always worried Ruby. Moments passed until Yang finally spoke up. _"Hey, Rubes? Can we have a group meeting? I think we need to talk."_

" _Oh. Sure, Yang."_ Ruby looked at Jaune, who was quietly finishing his frozen yogurt. "Hey, Jaune?"

"Hmm? Yeah?"

"Um…" Ruby wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. Was there a nice way to ask someone to leave? "I-"

"I really need to get some studying done, so do you mind if we pick this up later?" Ruby's eyes widened, but they relaxed just as quickly. She wasn't moving her lips, or her eyes. One of the alts were.

"Huh? Oh, sure. Same time tomorrow? After your classes?"

"Maybe." 'Ruby' put down her food and stood up. Her arms and legs weren't in her control anymore. "I'll call you about it later, alright?" She motioned Jaune up, and he obeyed, though Ruby couldn't ignore the confusion in his eyes.

"Um, alright. I'll see you later, Rubes."

"Bye, Jaune." She placed her hand on his back and gently pushed him towards the exit. Her body waved goodbye to him as she closed and locked the door.

" _Alright, Ruby. We need to talk,"_ Yang declared, releasing control back to Ruby. The crimsonette's scowled, clearly upset by what her sister had done.

" _Yang! What the heck?! You didn't even let me say goodbye!"_

" _You would have taken forever to do it, trust me."_ Yang didn't sound like her usual happy, go-lucky self. Quite the opposite in fact. _"We really need to talk, Rubes. You've been hanging out with with that guy everyday for more than a week straight."_

" _So?"_ Ruby tried to pretend she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she knew her sister saw through her. Instead she tried a different tactic. _"Jaune's the first real friend I've had since Patch. I just want to make up for lost time. I haven't had anyone to talk to in so long..."_

" _What about me? Why can't you talk to me? You used to tell me everything!"_

" _It's different with you!"_ Ruby sighed.

" _Why?"_ The obvious answer hung in the air, making Yang even more exasperated. _"Why is it different?"_

" _Because you're my sister."_ Both of them knew there was another reason, even if Ruby refused to acknowledge it. No matter how different Yang and Ruby were, no matter how many times they called each other sisters, Yang was an alternate personality. She was a voice in Ruby's head. Not a real person, or a real sister…

Ruby and Yang loved each other like they really were siblings, but that didn't change the simple truth.

" _Besides, isn't this a good thing? You told me to make friends!"_ The only reason Ruby had been at that party, the only reason she met Jaune, was because of random chance and Yang pushing her to go. _"Jaune's my friend, and so are Nora and Ren."_

" _But you don't hang out with Ren or Nora every day. You're hanging out with him every single day. Heck, when was the last time you actually let one of us out?! You've hung out with Neon more I have lately!"_

There was jealousy in Yang's voice, and Ruby could understand why. Her sister had a point, much as Ruby hated to admit it. Weiss, Blake, and Yang hadn't really had a chance to do their own things lately. Ruby was too busy spending time with Jaune to let them out. They couldn't interact with the real world.

Ruby was the bridge to reality for them, and she hadn't given any of them the time of day lately.

" _Yang."_ Blake's voice caught the two's attention. Neither said anything as she spoke. _"Ruby, I think Yang is just worried about you. Not to mention she's feeling a little stir-crazy. She wants social interaction outside the four of us, something you can understand."_

Ruby nodded her head, sighing again. "I get that," she confessed aloud. "I'm sorry, Yang. I guess I haven't really given you a lot time for you to be yourself. I've just been having so much fun with Jaune…"

" _It's okay, Rubes… Alright, I have been getting a little annoyed with nothing to do. Blake can read whatever she wants, Weiss gets to go out to study, but… I haven't really been able to do anything in awhile."_ Ruby was about to suggest she take the rest of the night, only for Yang to interject. _"But that isn't everything, Rubes. I'm worried you're moving too fast with this guy."_

"Wait, what do you mean?"

" _Ruby, what exactly are you looking for in Jaune?"_

"What?" Her eyes widened and she took a step back from the door, as if that would distance her from Yang.

" _Ruby, I remember Adam. It started just like this. He seemed like the greatest guy in the world, and then everything fell apart. I remember it. Don't you?"_

"Jaune is nothing like Adam!" Ruby's right arm was tingling. It felt like it was going numb, like thousands of needles were being pushed into it. She squeezed it with her other as she closed her eyes. "Yang…"

This wasn't a new feeling. It happened whenever Yang was really upset, especially if it involved Adam. Just as quickly as it came, it stopped. Ruby's arm relaxed and Yang let out a groan.

" _I'm sorry, Ruby. But I'm your big sister. I don't want to see you get hurt again,"_ Yang confessed. _"I want you to have friends, but things between you and Jaune are going so fast… I love you, sis, but you're… sensitive. When you fall for a guy, you fall hard, and if Jaune is like Adam, then you'll get hurt just as bad as last time. Maybe worst."_

Ruby didn't say anything in return. She didn't know how to argue back. Yang was right, maybe Ruby was sensitive, but the way her sister was saying it made Ruby feel more like she was being accused of being a crybaby. She ground her teeth, glaring at the ground as she fumed.

" _Ruby?"_ Yang whispered, calling out to her sister.

" _Maybe we should take a break,"_ Weiss muttered, speaking up for the first time in a long while.

Ruby took a long, deep breath, before exhaling. She could be mature. She could be an adult. She could be calm. She knew she could. Ruby thought long and hard about what they could do, before she smiled at the idea that popped in her head.

"What if we killed two birds with one stone?"

" _Then… we're a psycho who throws rocks at birds?"_ Typical Yang. Hiding how scared or worried she was with a joke.

Ruby tried to smile at her sister's humor, shaking her head. "No. I mean, what if you, all of you hang out with Jaune. I mean, Blake got to meet him. Why not you and Weiss? That way you can see what a great guy he is, and you get to do your own thing. Kind of."

The alts were silent. Ruby felt her smile falter, but she tried not to let it fall completely. Before she spoke, though, Weiss did.

" _That sounds like a bad idea."_

" _I have to agree with Weiss-cream, Rubes. Sounds like a recipe for disaster,"_ Yang agreed. _"Besides, we tried that with Adam. It didn't go well either..."_

" _I never met Adam, but even I can assume how badly things would go if Yang and I met with your boyfriend. No thanks,"_ Weiss added.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ruby argued, cheeks turning red.

" _I think it's a good idea,"_ Blake declared.

"Wait, what?"

" _Yeah, seriously. What? Blake, weren't you arguing about how we shouldn't talk to this guy?!"_ Yang shouted. _"Why the sudden change of heart?"_

" _Think of it like this, Yang. Who better to interrogate Jaune than you? I already spoke to him, but you've been Ruby's alt the longest. You should talk to him. See if you approve of him."_

"Whoa, no one said interrogate!" Ruby interjected, only to be ignored.

" _I understand why Yang should talk to him, but why me? Ruby doesn't need my approval,"_ Weiss commented.

" _Some social interaction would do you some good, Weiss,"_ Blake calmly answered.

" _Oh, I'm sorry, is the pot calling me, the kettle, black?"_ Weiss inquired, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

" _Weiss, you don't have a single friend outside of us. You never have."_ Blake's honesty was as blunt and brutal as a hammer, and it silenced the others. _"Ruby has Jaune, Yang has Neon. Even I have made friends outside of the four of us in the past. But not you. You've never had a friend outside of us."_

" _I...H-how dare you?!"_ Weiss growled.

" _Just citing facts. You could use the experience."_

"G-guys, come on. Let's calm down. We're all friends here!" Ruby tried to keep the peace among the alts. She even held up her hands, despite no one else being the room.

" _Alright. Fine. I'll talk to the dolt."_

" _Wait, really?"_ Yang was just as surprised as Ruby was, and she voiced both of their thoughts.

" _I will talk to him. If only so Blake will get off my back."_

" _Good enough"_

" _Well, alright then!"_ Yang's voice cheered. _"Looks like I'm meeting him too."_

"Whooo…" Despite putting the idea out there in the first place, a powerful, overbearing sense of dread crushed Ruby's spirit. She was quickly regretting her decision. "Can we please put down some ground rules?"

" _Don't worry, Rubes."_ Yang grinned. _"We'll be on our best behavior!"_

That promise did little to dissuade the regret and dread building up in Ruby's stomach.

* * *

Blake volunteered to be the first of the alts to talk to Jaune that day. She waited for him at his and Ruby's usual meeting spot, standing in the corner of Beacon's parking lot. She wore Ruby's clothes, though there was significantly less red on her than Ruby typically wore. She waited, alone with her thoughts, enjoying the rare moment of peace for herself.

 _He should be here soon._ She lifted her eyes from Ruby's cell and looked around the parking lot. She saw no sign of the car Ruby described to her..

Blake wasn't worried about meeting Jaune. She could hardly say she liked the man, but he was innocent until proven guilty. As long as he treated Ruby well, Blake didn't want to waste her time with him. She would meet him today, say what she needed to say, and that would hopefully be the end of it between them.

As she stood there, she found herself glancing at Ruby's bangs. She never did like the color red. Just looking at it brought a small frown to her lips. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, before moving to fix her bow.

The long black ribbon was one of the few things she could call hers. She pulled it tighter, brushing Ruby's hair under it as she finally noticed Jaune's car driving towards her. It stopped in front of Blake and she could hear the doors unlock as Jaune waved at her from the inside, a large smile on her face.

Blake tried to return the gesture, putting on a smile that hurt her cheeks. How Ruby could stomach smiling so much was beyond her. She stepped inside the car and sat beside Jaune, pulling a seatbelt over her.

"Hey, Rubes! Nice look. Think this is the first time I've ever seen you not wear something red."

"Thanks," Blake nodded her head, not really acknowledging the comment.

"So, you said you wanted to go to the library, right?"

"I did." She nodded her head again.

"No problem." Jaune drove the car forward with a smile on his face, though Blake noticed he kept glancing at her. She tried not to look too annoyed at that, but pretending to be Ruby was already a chore. "So, what are you hoping to find at the library?"

Blake tried, she really did try, not to look at Jaune like he was an idiot. "Books?"

"Oh. Right." He kept his eyes on the road, and the personality sighed in her mind. She was very bad at being Ruby. The ride was quiet for a few minutes, before Jaune spoke up again. "Hey, Rubes? Are you okay? You're pretty quiet today…"

 _He noticed,_ she thought. Of course he did, he was expecting Ruby's hyperactive personality, nt Blake's quiet stoicism. "Just thinking," Blake replied, with a small shrug.

"About?"

She contemplated the question. She thought about how alike Adam and Jaune were. She thought about what she wanted to read. She thought about the ramifications of Ruby's choices were making for her and the others. So many things Blake couldn't tell Jaune. She really had only one option to answer with.

"What I'm going to read."

"Looking for anything in particular?" Jaune showed interest in what Blake liked to read. She made a mental note of that, realizing it was another similarity he had with Adam. Time will tell how genuine the interest was.

"Fantasy."

"Cool. Like Lord of the Rings, or something?"

"Or something." She stared at the window, watching the world go by. "I prefer darker fantasy. Something more realistic."

"Really? That's surprising. Never took you for the type..." Blake didn't say anything. "Well, I'll help you look when we get there. Maybe we can find something good together?" She replied with a quiet nod, leaving silence to fill the car once again.

It was nice while it lasted, but it didn't last long. "Ruby? Are you sure you're okay?"

 _He never stops talking,_ she thought with a huff. She didn't respond for a while, considering what to say in response. It didn't take her long to find something she had actually been meaning to say to Jaune. She had forgotten all about it, but it quickly came back to her.

"Ruby?"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh? What for?" They stopped at a light, and Blake finally turned her head to look at him again. He was confused.

"For that night. During the movie. I'm sorry for the way I acted."

"Is that what's bothering you?" he laughed. "Ruby, it's fine! Really. Besides, I'm pretty sure you did apologize to me."

"Just felt like it needed saying again," she mumbled.

"Well, I accept your apology. Again." Blake nodded her head, and despite the distrust she had for Jaune, she did feel mildly better. It was a small gesture, but one she had wanted to get off her chest for a while.

She returned to staring out the window as Jaune drove them to the library. The rest of the car ride was a blissful silence as the sun's rays gently fell on Blake's face.

Blake didn't think much of Jaune Arc. He seemed harmless enough, and while she was ready to snap his finger if he touched Ruby the wrong way, she'd let the main personality interact with him. For now. Until they drifted apart or he made a fatal mistake.

 _He shouldn't be a problem,_ she thought.

* * *

They soon reached the library. Jaune parked the car, and Blake stepped out without a word. She walked towards the front door, Jaune following behind her. They entered the small building together and Blake quickly separated from him.

"I'm going to find some books. Could you find us a table?"

"Sure."

Blake walked away from Jaune and casually entered an empty aisle. She made sure she was alone, before she closed her eyes. She thought loudly, calling out to Weiss.

" _I'm ready. Are you?"_

The time Blake had spent with Jaune was short, but that was fine by her. She spoke to him, said what she wanted to say, and left it at that. She had no intention of making a friend out of Jaune. Weiss hadn't been completely wrong accusing Blake of hyprocosy, but the truth was she wasn't looking for a friend.

After losing Sun, Blake just didn't want to bother forming another doomed friendship.

" _As I'll ever be,"_ Weiss sighed.

Blake released control of the body, letting go of Ruby's form as Weiss took control. It was difficult to describe. It felt like letting go and falling into a pool of warm water. It took a couple of seconds, but it felt a lot longer sometimes.

The personality drifted to the deep recesses of Ruby's mind as Weiss opened her eye, and took her first breath in hours.

* * *

Weiss opened her eyes, staring at a bookshelf. She rolled her neck, taking another deep breath as she looked around. She looked at herself, and frowned at her clothes. Black pants, black shoes, black coat…

 _Typical Blake._ Weiss might not have been a fashionista, but she personally couldn't stand the color black. It was… too gothic? Childish? She rolled her eyes, unbuttoning the coat to find a white blouse under it.

White wasn't Weiss' favorite color, she wasn't even sure she had one, but it was better than just black. Weiss smoothed the wrinkled fabric on her body, before hanging the black coat on her arm.

 _Alright, Weiss. Time to get this over with. Just read some books and then tell him you're ready to leave._ It sounded simple, but then why did she feel so anxious? There was nothing to be worried about. She's talked to people before. This was nothing different.

 _Just get this over with, Weiss…_ She took a step forward, only to hesitate. _Wait…_ She came to a painful realization at that moment. She had no idea what Jaune looked like.

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure what was bothering Ruby, but he really hoped he could help her. He knew something was wrong with her, even if she denied it. She looked okay, but she seemed depressed when they spoke in his car. Compared to how high energy and bright the woman usually seemed, it was like someone turn her personality upside down.

The way she walked, the way she talked, all of it seemed different than the happy-go-lucky girl he knew. She seemed slightly better after apologizing, but Jaune still worried for her.

He tapped his fingers against the table, frowning as he wondered what he could do for her, only to look up as he noticed Ruby walk by him. She had several books, and her coat, under her arms, but Jaune was staring at her face. He arched his brow as he noticed how confused she looked.

Ruby's eyes traveled along the other tables, staring at the people sitting there, before turning around. Jaune held up his hand and waved at Ruby, putting on a smile for her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked when she got closer.

"Jaune…?" She lifted a brow up, and he did the same. Was she asking him a question?

"Um, yeah?"

"Oh. Good. I'm fine." She quickly sat across from him, and opened one of her books. Jaune felt a sense of deja vu as he looked at Ruby, noticing how… off she was acting again. She was practically ignoring him.

"Um, Rubes? You okay?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, eyes skimming over the book.

"You sure? Cause you've hardly spoken to me all day. You've just seemed kind of quiet?"

"We're at a library," she replied, her tone short and cold. He saw her eyes slimming into a glare. "Do you know what you're not supposed to do at a library?"

"Uh, talk?"

"Exactly. And what are you doing?" she asked. Jaune blinked, clearly dumbfounded by the sharp tongue and cold front that Ruby was giving him. She took his silence as an answer, nodding her head. "There you go." Ruby then returned to her book, without another word. .

This wasn't like the car ride. Ruby had gone from quiet to just… rude! The sudden change left Jaune utterly confused, and he leaned back in his seat as he stared at her.

"Alright. Guess I'll shut up then," he muttered.

"Sounds like a good idea. Thank you." She didn't glance up from her book.

Jaune sighed. He stood up from his seat and walked off, leaving to find something to read. If Ruby noticed him leaving, she didn't say anything.

* * *

Weiss wasn't sure what was Jaune's problem. How hard was it to be quiet? Couldn't he just stop bothering her and let her read in peace?

She fidgeted in her seat, trying to get comfortable as that oaf's face flashed in her mind. Weiss scowled, shaking her head as her eyes glanced around the library for Jaune.

 _Maybe I was a little too short with him,_ she thought to herself. He was probably expecting Ruby, and her overenergenic, million-words-in-a-minute mouth. But Weiss didn't know how to be Ruby. The only person she really knew how to be was herself.

Weiss quietly cursed the others for putting her in this position. She didn't even want to be out here in the first place…

 _Maybe I will apologize to him when he returns,_ she thought to herself, and speak of the Devil, she saw Jaune walking back to their table with several books in his hand. He sat across from her, and she opened her mouth to apologize only to stop as he laid the books onto the table.

Just one glance at them wiped away any thought of apologizing. "You must be joking," she groaned.

"What?"

"Comics? Really? We're at a library," she declared, placing a hand on one of those ridiculous books to inspect it. It had some tights-wearing idiot flying through the air, with some scantily clad, female counterpart by their side.

For Weiss, the books were little better than paperweights.

"Yeah. What's wrong with comics?" Jaune replied, a frown forming on his mouth.

"They're childish."

"You like comics!"

Weiss wanted to smack herself in the head. Of course. How could she forget? Ruby loved that drivel! Weiss wanted to kick herself upside the head for such a stupid move. _You idiot!_ She scolded herself, glaring at Jaune with her silver eyes.

"Oh. Yes. Of course. Sorry," she grumbled, quickly averting her eyes.

"Ruby, seriously, are you feeling alright? You're acting really weird. You're not acting like yourself."

Weiss grumbled to herself, unsure how she should have been acting. It was like walking towards a building and realizing just how tall it was. Weiss never realized how hard it was to pretend to be Ruby.

"Just not feeling like myself," she mumbled. "Sorry." She hated this. She hated being put in this position. Blake was right. Weiss had never had a friend before, and while she could fake it enough to get through short conversation, actually sitting down with someone like Jaune was… difficult.

"How can I help?"

She wished she had an answer. Her eyes fell back onto her book, but it was suddenly taken away from her by the blond. Her eyes widened, and she glared at him. "What are you doing, you-?"

"Ruby, stop. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

She really didn't know how to answer the question. She was an alternate personality, roped into talking to someone she didn't care about by the real Ruby Rose. What was Weiss supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?

"Arc," she growled through closed teeth. "Drop it. There's nothing to talk about."

But apparently Jaune Arc had other plans. "Not until you talk to me. It doesn't even have to be about what's wrong. Maybe I can get your mind off of what's bothering you?"

That sounded like the closest thing to a way that Weiss had. So she tried to find something to talk about, pondering her options, until her eyes fell on Jaune's pile of books. Most of them were comics about men in tights, but there was one book that stood out.

It had a hardbook cover, with pictures of guitars on the front. The title hung on the very top of the book, and she found her conversation topic.

"You play guitar?" she asked, motioning to the book. _'The Guitar and You. A Guide to Acoustic Guitars.'_

"Oh, yeah." He smiled at her, and she hoped this would finally do away with the heavy atmosphere between them, and the constant questions and poking. "Used to play it all the time when I was in highschool. I even took a few classes in Beacon."

"You attended Beacon's musical program?" Weiss' eyes widened at that. She knew Beacon was one of the best schools in the country, famed for being renowned in practically every field of education. Science, art, and everything in between. The fact that Jaune was even able to attend those classes was… "That's… surprising."

"Thanks. The teacher said I was pretty good."

"Then why quit?" she asked, genuinely curious. Her question knocked the smile off of his face, and that just made her more confused. Weiss worked hard to be the best at what she did. That meant studying hard to be the top of her class.

To think Jaune Arc, one of Ruby's friends, was the top of any class was shocking for her. Why quit? If you were the best at something, why give up on that?"

"It's stupid," he admitted.

"And?" For Weiss, hearing Jaune call something in his life stupid was like a fish calling something wet. It was so obvious, it didn't seem to matter.

"My girlfriend and I broke up." He rested his head on his hand, sighing. "When she left me, she… It's stupid, but she took away my ability to play. My ability to write music, to play it… I just couldn't do it."

He probably expected Weiss, or Ruby, to make fun of him. It was easy to see his problem as some cliche. His girlfriend broke up with him, and he was left a whiny mess, but that was the crazy thing.

Weiss understood it, strangely enough, or rather, she could understand how painful it would be to lose the ability to create music. As her mind pondered the feeling, she couldn't help but remember her own origins.

The young personality had never lost anything or anyone in her life, yet she was born from the sense of lost.

An alternate personality, in most cases, is made when someone goes through a traumatic experience. Weiss was made, like most personalities, to act as a stand-in for Ruby. Weiss was born after the worst year in Ruby's life. In the span of that one year, Ruby lost everyone close to her. Her mother was locked up in an asylum, her father kept his distance from her, and Adam took advantage of her, before abandoning her like a broken toy.

After all of that, Ruby found it impossible to focus on schoolwork. Life fell apart, and Ruby wasn't sure how she was supposed to move on

Thus Weiss was born to live someone else's life. Weiss still remembered her first days. She woke up in Ruby's body, without a name, and Yang, Blake, and Ruby didn't know what to think of the stranger at first. They didn't trust her, but Weiss quickly found her purpose. While Ruby recovered with Yang's love and support, Weiss got them through highschool with honors.

Weiss kept to herself throughout her time at Signal High, burying herself into her studies. She had no family, just like Blake, but unlike the other alt, Weiss never made a friend before. Even her bond with Yang, Blake, and Ruby couldn't really be called a friendship. They were stuck together, but they weren't friends, or even a family. They were just voices in Ruby's head… Buffers.

For Weiss, there were only three things important to her. Ruby's safety, because her pain would inevitably be Weiss' pain, Ruby's grades, because those were Weiss' responsibility, and singing. Because singing was the only thing that Weiss could call her own.

She discovered her talent while working on Ruby's homework. She started playing music to help her focus, and… she just started singing along to it. There was no deeper meaning to it. She just had fun singing, and if she ever lost that talent, she would have nothing to her name.

It wasn't the same, but it did give her a unique insight to Jaune.

"That's terrible," Weiss admitted. "I can't imagine how painful that must have been. If I lost the ability to sing, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"You sing?" Jaune asked, raising his brow.

"Oh." Weiss kicked herself again. "O-only a little. It's nothing impressive. Don't bring it up again," she quickly demanded. "Forget what I said. I understand how painful that must have been to lose your girlfriend, and musical talent… Have you tried playing anything recently?" The silence was suddenly unbearable. It was too damn awkward and too damn frustrating.

"Hm? No, not really," he confessed.

"You should," she commented. "Talent doesn't just go away. You have ten fingers that aren't broken. You should try. What's the worst that can happen?"

"I look like an idiot?" Jaune replied, but Weiss just rolled her eyes.

"How is that different than now?" she wondered. It came out a lot meaner than she meant. She hoped she hadn't just ruined what little good faith she and Jaune just built together.

Jaune opened his mouth, only to close his lips. "Maybe you're right." He smiled at her, his eyes agleam with a strange spark. "How about a deal? I'll practice my guitar, if you sing me a song sometime."

"I… M-maybe. We'll see. I'm not promising anything," she sighed. Her cheeks felt hot. She'd never sung for someone else before. "Just shut up," she grumbled, closing her eyes.

"Never sang in front of anyone before?" he questioned, and she huffed. "I get that. I was terrified when I first played in front of my friends, but I bet you're great."

Weiss felt her cheeks heat up again, and she didn't reply. Jaune smiled at her, and she did her best to silence him with a glare. The attempt probably fell flat due to her pink-tinted face. At least the tension in the library seemed to dissipate. She returned to her book, and this time Jaune said nothing.

The alternate personality wasn't sure what to think of Jaune. She could certainly see why Ruby liked him. The two were annoyingly similar. Hm. 'Annoying,' and 'frustrating.' Two perfect words for the dolt.

* * *

Eventually the two put their books away and got ready to go. Ruby excused herself to the bathroom, and when she came back, Jaune noticed another sudden shift in her mood. First she was quiet, then she was mean, and now she looked… happy.

"Jaune!" Ruby beamed, firing finger guns at him. "There you are."

"Uh, hey, Rubes. You okay?"

"Never been better. In fact, I just wanted to say thanks for dealing with me today. I know how weird I've been," she explained.

It was a relief to hear Ruby acknowledge her own odd behavior. He smiled at her, and waved his hand in the air. "Don't worry about it. It's okay."

"Yeah, just some woman problems. You know how it is."

"Woman problems? Anything I can do to help?" Jaune asked.

"It's just… a bad time of the month. Know what I mean?" Ruby made a face like she was trying not to laugh, and realization hit Jaune like a train.

He lived with Nora. He knew what 'bad time of the month' was code for. "Oh! I am so sorry! Um, anything I can do to help? I'm sorry!"

"Actually, there is. My friend and I were going to hang out tonight, and I was wondering if you'd come along. I think you'll really like her," Ruby smirked.

"Huh?" Jaune was taken back by the offer, and he scratched the back of his head as his cheeks turned a faint red. "Are you sure? I don't want to get in your way, especially if you're having a bad month."

"That's why I want you there! Friends make everything better, right? Don't worry about it!" Ruby gave a toothy grin and gently smacked her fist against his arm. "I ain't taking no for an answer. Neon's been dying to meet you, Jauney."

"I… Well, okay."

"Awesome! Thanks, Jaune." Ruby winked at the taller man, before grabbing his arm and pulling him along, ripping him from where he stood. "Let's get back to my place! I need a change of clothes! The three of us are gonna paint this town red!"

Jaune felt very, very confused.

* * *

He waited downstairs in Ruby's living room, listening to Ruby change upstairs. When Jaune finally heard her coming down the ladder and he looked up. What he saw left his jaw hanging to the ground and his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Hey, you…?" _Holy shit._

Ruby looked… Well, she always looked cute, he couldn't deny that, but this was the first time he ever looked at Ruby and realized how mature she looked. She was a woman, and the clothes she wore emphasized that.

She wore black pants that clung to her legs, outlining their shapely, sleek figure. Her midriff was exposed, letting Jaune see her flat stomach. He also saw how curvaceous her figure was, which was very. Ruby was very, very curvy. She wore a burnt orange top that was just low enough to expose her cleavage, and tight enough to reveal just how 'gifted' Ruby was under the baggy clothes she usually wore. Again, the answer was very.

The gleam in her eye was captivating. Different than anything he'd seen in those silver eyes before. Jaune gulped down spit, shaking as Ruby sauntered towards him. She smiled confidently, flicking her crimson locks behind her ear.

"What's wrong, Jauney? Ruby got your tongue?"

"I… I…" Jaune bit his own tongue, waking him from the trance he was falling into. "Y-you look good."

"Aw, thanks!" Ruby grinned. "Thought I'd try something new!" She placed a hand on the back of her head, and another on her hip, posing for Jaune. His eyes shot up, so he could only see her face out of the corner of his eyes. "Glad to see you approved. So, ready to meet Neon Katt?"

Jaune nodded his head, and Ruby smirked at him. He felt like a passenger on a rollercoaster, and Ruby was the one with the level. With a simple pull, his life was sent into a spiral. It was terrifying seeing Ruby so… take charge and confident, yet he found himself liking it.

Maybe it was just nice to be along for the ride.

* * *

Yang stood on the sidewalk with Jaune, and she made idle conversation. She wasn't like Blake or Weiss. She was outgoing, fiery, and had no problem holding a conversation with a stranger. Jaune made idle talk with her as she watched his eyes.

He was doing a good job not looking at Ruby's body. Yang was almost impressed. It was a fine line Yang had to draw. If she had her own body, she'd wear whatever she wanted. Show off that she looked good, embrace that she looked good, but she didn't have her own body. She had her sister's body.

Usually she wouldn't dress up Ruby's body in such risque clothes, but this was important. She needed to know this man's intentions with her little sister. If that meant playing the 'sexy,' card, so be it.

It wasn't like it was just Ruby's body that made Yang sexy. The alt learned a long time ago that sexy had to do with your mind, as much as it did your body. You had to carry yourself with confidence, and allure. Everytime Yang smiled at Jaune, her silver eyes gleamed with an almost predatory gaze.

He'd gulp and look away, trying so hard to stick to his 'nice guy' routine.

"Here she comes!" Yang beamed, waving her hands at the familiar car. Neon parked in front of the two, rolling down the window to greet them.

"What's up, Ruby-Tuby!? And you must be Jaune, right? Neon Katt, it's totally nice to meet you!"

"Uh, hey," Jaune greeted.

"Shotgun!" Yang declared, walking into the car. She bumped her fist against Neon's, as Jaune climbed into the back. "Long time no see, Neon!"

"Long time? Awww, did you miss me that bad?" Neon giggled, gently poking Yang's nose. "You're so cute, Rubes."

"Cute? Psh. Come on, Neon, you know I'm hot." Yang smirked at Neon, before turning her head to the red-faced Jaune. "Ready to party, Ruby-style, Jaune?"

"Uhh…"

"We're taking that as a yes. Punch it, Neon!"

"Punching it!" The car came to life and it shot like a rocket, leaving Jaune to sink into the leather seat as Yang enjoyed the speed and force. She loved Neon's driving. Judging by his whimpering, Jaune did not.

* * *

Jaune didn't know bad driving could be until he sat down in Neon's car. Maybe a better word would have been insane. After all, Neon didn't crash or anything, but the way she drove down the streets of Vale was… well, it defied all logic. Why no one stopped her both amazed, and terrified Jaune.

The car stopped and Jaune practically fell out of the car, holding his stomach as he panted , rubbing his hands against the cold, hard ground.

"Oh, thank god." Once the joy of solid ground set in, he realized just how twisted his stomach felt. "Oh, god…"

"Hey, he okay?" Neon wondered, pointing at Jaune's groaning corpse-like body.

"I'm sure he's fine. Come on, let's go!" Ruby reached down and hoisted Jaune onto his feet, electing another groan from his body. "On your feet, Jaunie! I'm gonna show you the best club in Vale!"

"Yaaay," he grumbled, trying to keep up with her pace.

It didn't take long for the trio to reach said club. It was fairly hard to miss, Jaune realized. The entrance was a staircase on the side of a small building downtown. The staircase went under the building, and there was a long line of people trying to get in. The faint sound of music could be heard through the walls as Neon and Ruby skipped the line and made straight for the entrance.

"Uh, hey, girls? We're cutting," Jaune commented.

"Oh, you sweet, sweet summer child. You have much to learn," Neon giggled.

Ruby walked right up the bouncer and pulled out a card from her tan coat. The burly man looked at it, before nodding his head. He stepped out of their way and motioned the group in. Neon and Ruby walked in without a second thought, and Jaune quickly followed after a moment of hesitation.

Jaune was almost knocked down from the force of the music inside. The deep bass, the sheer volume, and the bone-shaking beats made him shiver for a second as the music pounded against the walls.

Neon was beaming, pulling Jaune along as Ruby stretched out her arms to the ceiling. "Whooo!" She looked at Jaune and Neon, motioning them into the crowd as laser lights blinded the young man for a moment.

There were so many people, and it was so dark, and warm in the underground club. It's not like Jaune had never been to a club before, but this was like the difference between going to the beach and being in a tsunami. It was nuts.

People were shaking their bodies, undulating to the beat as Ruby led the group deeper into the beast's belly. Bright neon lights outlined the bar as light rained down from the ceiling. Jaune tried his best to take in the scene, but it was like trying to drink from a hose on full power. It was too much.

"I-is the DJ wearing a mouse head?"

"Junior!" Ruby screamed, holding up her arms to greet the bartender. "Drinks for me and my girl, Neon!"

Jaune turned his head to the bartender. He was a taller man with black hair on his head, and all over the lower half of his face. He certainly didn't look like a Junior, especially as he glared at Ruby. He finally nodded his head, reaching down to grab some bottles.

"Here. Just don't break anything," Junior demanded, pouring two shot glasses for Neon and Yang. He then turned his surly glare to Jaune. "And who the hell is he?"

"He's Jaune! You know, Jaune Carc?" Neon giggled, downing her glass.

"Arc."

"Right, right. Arc Carc." She snorted, smirking at Junior.

"Whatever. Doesn't matter. He actually has to pay for his drinks."

"Sorry, Jaune." Ruby turned her face to Jaune, smiling apologetically at him.

"Um, no problem… I'll just have a water, please." Junior nodded his head, pouring a glass of water for him, before pouring another glass of liquor for Neon.

"Heh. He said, 'please,'" Neon snickered.

Another pounding beat filled the air, and Ruby beamed. "Oh, I love this song! Jaune, you mind finding us a table while Neon and I dance?" Her silver eyes lit up as Jaune blinked.

"Oh, sure, I-" And they were already gone. Ruby pulled Neon into the crowd of people, leaving Jaune alone for the bustling dance floor. He blinked, clearly confused, before his face turned a bright red as he saw Ruby dancing on the dance floor. Once again, he was given a harsh reminder that she was a woman. A very attractive one, at that.

 **END**

Phew. This chapter was hard to write, I won't lie. I'm really scared I messed up, so I hope you guys like this chapter.

Originally this chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to shorten it so that the important stuff next chapter has proper focus. Imagine this chapter and the next as two parts of the same whole. Blake and Weiss both had their time with Jaune with varying success. We also got a chance to learn more about both of them.

As I mentioned before, adapting these characters to the real world isn't easy, but I manage. Weiss has had a sheltered and closed off life, just like in RWBY, except this is because she knows she's not normal. She's an alternate personality, and so she closed herself off and focused on her studies. I had to deal with the fact that in this world, she has no father, or company, and she's no heiress.

Hopefully I did a good job adapting her, and the others.

Next chapter focuses on Yang, Ruby, Neon, and Jaune! Look forward to it, and as always, if you like my work and want to support me, I have a Pat-reon. (Winks)

Stay safe, folks, love you, and be good to each other. Leave a review if you can, as they're always nice. Bye!

Next Update: July 25th, 2018.


	6. A Friend Named Jaune

**A Friend Named Jaune**

Yang hadn't felt so alive in weeks. The club's music was blaring out of the speakers, taking control of her body as she danced and rocked along to the electronic beats. She just let herself go, letting her body succumb to the blaring sound.

Neon was right beside her, dancing along to the music. The two girls bounced their hips together, laughing as they gently bumped into each other. Their eyes met, bright silver meeting sparkling emerald.

"Whoo! Shake it, girl!" Neon giggled.

The music was an assault on their ears, and they both loved it. Yang and Neon kept dancing together, until the music stopped and there was a brief break between songs. The two girls walked off of the dancefloor, both panting.

"Oh, man. Feels like forever since we've danced together!" Neon beamed, throwing her hands into the air. "You are such a good dancer, Rubes!"

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself, partner." The two smiled at one another. Yang was ecstatic to see the other girl again. Neon had no idea that the person beside her wasn't Ruby… No idea it'd been weeks since Yang last saw her best friend. "Ready to go in again?" Yang asked, eager to dance the night away.

"Hey, hold on a minute." Neon caught Yang's arm, holding her as the next high-energy song began to play. "What about Jaune?" Her brow wrinkled, clearly showing her confusion and concern for the man, though Yang couldn't understand why.

"Huh? What about him?"

"We left him all by himself like three songs ago!" Neon pouted, crossing her arms. She cocked out one of her hips, while glancing to the bar on the other side of the club. "Poor guy's probably all lonely and drinking by himself and stuff."

"I'm sure he's fine," Yang replied, brushing off the other woman's worries.

"I'm still going to go check on him. See if he's alright." Yang was surprised to hear Neon abandon her, but the dark-haired woman put on a smile and nodded her head.

"Alright. Well, don't take too long. I'll be here when you're ready to have a good time." Yang watched the other woman walk off. As soon as Neon was out of sight, Yang's smile fell flat. The alt was left alone with her thoughts, the last thing she wanted to be stuck with.

She knew she shouldn't be dancing. Yang had promised Ruby she'd talk to Jaune tonight. All Yang had done so far was make small talk, tease him, and party with Neon. She was supposed to interrogate the guy, and find out if he was a good partner for Ruby...

But it had just been so long since Yang had last been out! Yang wasn't like Blake or Weiss, or even Ruby. They did fine without social interaction, but Yang needed to get out. The music, the people, hell, just walking around their apartment like she was a normal person…

It wasn't something Yang was proud to admit, but she knew there was no denying it. Yang needed something in her life beyond just the other alts. Social activity. As much of a life as she could have for herself.

It wasn't that Yang didn't love Ruby and the others. Yang would always want Weiss, Blake, and Ruby in her life. They were her family. She just needed something more in her life than just them.

That's why Yang wasn't talking to Jaune. She was too busy living. Least, that's how she saw it.

The woman quietly sighed to herself. Another song was beginning to play. Yang glanced towards the bar where Jaune sat. She then turned away and walked onto the dance floor again, joining the partying crowd.

Yang knew Neon was right to check on Jaune. She'd probably join her friend to see how he was doing, right after another song.

* * *

Jaune took a sip of his drink. The taste was bitter, and it had a subtle burning sensation. He sighed, gagging at the taste and pushing the drink away from him.

He wasn't in the best of spirits. Jaune had been looking forward to today. Another great day with Ruby, probably one of the coolest, nicest girls he had ever met? How could he not be excited for it?

But today had been, well, crap. Ruby had been acting weird all day. She apologized at the library, and he really thought the worst was over, but she had ditched him almost half an hour ago to go dancing with her friend.

Leaving him alone with their things, and feeling pretty crappy.

Jaune felt incredibly out of place at the club. He had no one to talk to, and nothing to do but wait as the girls danced together. He sighed, quietly, resting his head on his elbow.

He had never really been much of a party animal. He had been to a few parties in the past, but Pyrrha had always been his buffer at social events. She knew how to act around the others, and she always had a natural charm that won strangers over.

Not Jaune.

Nope. He was more along the lines of 'socially awkward… Come to think of it, he hadn't been to a party since Pyrrha and him broke up. Which was over a year ago...

Jaune sighed again, glaring at his drink. _What's with Ruby lately…?_ He couldn't deny there was some anger under the surface of his thoughts. He couldn't help it. Today had just been...

He tried to calm down. Maybe he was just being rude. So Ruby was having a weird day, so she had some unexpected hobbies, like partying at clubs. So what?

"Hey there, stranger."

Jaune blinked, and turned his head. A woman smiled at him, her emerald eyes gleaming with glee. It took the blond man a moment to realize who they belonged to. It was Neon, Ruby's friend that he had met earlier that day.

"Oh, hey. Neon, right?"

"Yep! Horatio, yeah?" There was a moment of silence as Jaune opened his mouth, only to slowly close it. He looked dumbfounded as Neon giggled, shaking her head. "I'm kidding! Jaune, right? You doing okay, fam?"

"Uh, yeah. Just having a drink."

"Hm." Neon nodded her head, before planting herself down on the seat beside him. "Seems a little dull to me." She stared at him with a grinning, yet piercing stare.

"Oh, uh… Well-" Jaune wasn't sure what to say in reply, but before he could answer, Neon giggled.

"I see why Ruby likes you. You two are a lot alike."

"Really?" He blinked, surprised by the comparison. He knew he shouldn't be. Nora and Ren said the same, but after today, Jaune wasn't so sure.

"Totally! Socially awkward, and stuff, but you both have this cuteness to you," she explained.

 _She thinks I'm cute?_ He thought, but he quickly shook the thought away. He stared at Neon, examining her smiling face. He pondered a question, hoping he could get a real answer to his confusion. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"I don't know, can you?" she giggled. "Of course, you can! What's up?"

"Has Ruby ever seemed…?" He wasn't sure how to word the question, honestly. He hesitated, avoiding her eyes before he tried again. "Well, this is going to sound weird, but has Ruby ever seemed weird to you?"

"The only normal people in the world are the ones you don't know well enough," she replied. Jaune didn't bother digging any deeper, silently sighing to himself. He was ready to drop the topic, when he noticed her eyes. They had dimmed, as if they lost a bit of color. Her smile fell for a moment as she uttered, "It's like she's a totally different person sometimes, right?"

"Y-yeah. How'd you know?" His eyes widened as he stared at her.

"I've noticed it too." She mimicked Jaune, resting her elbow on the counter and placing her head on her hand. "Just little stuff, I guess. Like she's really introverted some nights, and really extroverted other nights."

"You notice it too?"

"Hard to not to," Neon replied. "A while ago, she just acted weird during this party I took her to on New Years Eve. Not bad, but just… weird? Less herself? You know?"

"Yeah..." he nodded. Jaune turned his head, and Neon followed his gaze. The two looked at the dancefloor, where Ruby continued to dance.

The blond couldn't imagine the same Ruby from earlier today acting like this. She had been so quiet in the car, and then so cold at the library. It didn't make sense to him. It just didn't feel normal.

"I don't know what to tell you," Neon confessed. "But I know what you mean. This one time in November, I asked her if she wanted to study with me. She laughed, and passed it off, but just a week ago she asked if I wanted to study with her." Jaune lifted his brow, and the young woman sighed. "I know that might not seem like a lot, but she was so different. She didn't even seem to remember me asking her back in November. I mean, it was a while ago, but-"

"No, I get it." Jaune's brow furrowed. It was clear that whatever was going on with Ruby wasn't just about today. It had to have been going on for months. "Why do you think she does that?" The two turned away from the dancefloor, facing the bar as they talked.

"I don't know if she means to," Neon shrugged. "All I know is that she's my still my friend. Yeah, she confuses sometimes, but I know she's got some skeletons in her closet. I don't want to pry, so I just go along without making a big deal of it."

Jaune nodded his head again. Maybe he should try to do the same and just go along with it. Still, his curiosity couldn't help but poke at his mind. "Yeah, maybe. Just wish I could understand her, I guess."

"Aww. That's sweet. I hope you're not just playing the nice guy to get under dress." Neon teased, a cattish smirk on her lips. The light in her eyes returned, and she placed a hand on Jaune's arm, slowly climbing up it.

"W-what?! No!" Jaune blushed profusely, and the woman laughed. "I'm just trying to be her friend!"

"I hope so. Cause if you hurt her, well, let's just say Adam's lucky I never met him…"

 _Adam?_ The name rang a familiar bell, and Jaune frowned as he remembered just who the man was. "Her ex, right?"

"She told you, huh?" Neon nodded her head. "Yeah. He sounded like a real ass."

"Ruby didn't tell me a lot about him," Jaune admitted. "Just that things ended poorly between them."

The young woman blew air out of her mouth, scoffing at the description. "She told me he 'wasn't a very good person,' which is code for 'he was an ass.' Probably cheated on her or something."

Jaune didn't like to imagine that, but maybe it would explain a thing or two about Ruby. How odd she was, how she'd close herself off to him. Of course, that was all just a guess. Jaune had no concrete answers. Even the excuse Ruby gave back at the library seemed unlikely.

Everything just felt off, and Jaune struggled to accept it.

"That's terrible," he finally uttered, unsure of what else to say.

"Right?" Neon scoffed again, rolling her eyes. Neither of them said anything as Neon reached for Jaune's glass. She held it up between them, silently asking if she could have it. Jaune smiled and motioned with his hand for her to have it, and she downed what little remained of the liquor. "You know, she really likes you. Almost every time she and I are together, she mentions you, and she always gets happy talking about you. It's totally cute."

The thought of Ruby gushing about him made the young man grin, but that grin quickly fell as reality set in. She certainly didn't seem happy to be with him now.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. She really likes you," Neon commented. "Like, really likes you." Jaune didn't say anything in response, before a elbow poked his arm. He looked at Neon, who had that same cattish grin as before. "Like, really, really likes you."

"Wait." Jaune's brow furrowed, and he stared into her glimmering, teasing emerald eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Before Neon could say anything, a third voice greeted them. "Hey, strangers. Room for one more?" Both turned back to the dancefloor, and there was Ruby Rose, smirking at the two. She walked forward, her hips swaying ever so slightly. She slipped between Neon and Jaune and leaned against the counter. "What were you two doing?"

"Oh, you know. Just sharing some juicy gossip about you," Neon giggled, her eyes gleaming as Jaune's widened. She glanced at Jaune, a knowing smile on her face, before looking back at Ruby.

"W-wait, we-"

"Oh? Anything I should know?" Ruby asked, her silver eyes peering into Jaune's soul. He felt a chill run down his spine at the uncharacteristic look Ruby was giving him. It was almost predatory.

"Oh, you know, the usual stuff. How we met you, how top heavy you are, blah, blah, blah. Jaune agrees with me you are, bt-dubs. You are so top-heavy."

Jaune felt his cheeks burst into flames. His blush was so hot it dried up his throat. He couldn't believe what Neon had just said. Considering the stare Ruby was giving him, he was regretting not writing up his will today.

 _I'm going to die,_ he thought, shaking under Ruby's glare. Neon beamed beside him, clearly uncaring that she had just put a target on his head.

As he quietly contemplated his demise, Ruby's stony gaze was replaced with laughter, and Neon joined in.

"Oh, man! Did you see the look on his face?" Neon asked, between her fits of laughter.

"Heh. Take it easy, Jauney." Ruby promised. "We're just teasing you."

"Oh. R-right." Jaune didn't really find the whole situation 'ha-ha' funny, but he rolled with the punches and just took the joke. He let out a nervous laugh, smiling at Ruby.

"Alright! No more standing around!" Ruby put one hand on her hip and another on Jaune's arm, easily hoisting him off of the seat and onto his feet with her bizarre super strength. How anyone so small could be so strong was beyond Jaune… "Come on, blondie! You and me are going dancing!"

"I-what?"

"You heard me! You can't just sit around drinking! You're at a club with two beautiful ladies! You have got to dance with at least one of us!" Ruby didn't wait for Jaune to reply, turning her grinning face to Neon. "Neon, you mind if I take him out for a spin?"

"Not a problem! Just don't break the poor guy!" Neon replied. "I'm gonna chill here and get my drink on. You two have fun, kay?"

Ruby nodded her head, and Jaune decided that trying to argue just wasn't worth the effort. He gave up and walked alongside Ruby, trying to ignore the warmth on his face.

His blush had just started to die down, when Ruby wrapped her arm around his. The side of her chest rubbed against his arm, and he glued his eyes on the dancefloor. Just in case.

* * *

Yang had to admit. It was pretty fun messing with this guy. There really was just something fun about teasing Jaune. Maybe it was how innocent he seemed to be, or how he react. Maybe his face was just weirdly expressive, or maybe it was something else entirely.

Either way, Yang really liked messing with him.

She pulled him towards the dancefloor as another song began to play. Yang already found herself swaying to the beat. Her hips bounced to the beat, and Yang caught Jaune's eyes staring at her body.

Well, Ruby's body.

Yang frowned. She usually had no problem with people staring at her, but when Jaune did it… Well, the reality was that Jaune was staring at Ruby's body. Yang would never leave let anyone touch Ruby. She wasn't worried about Jaune. He could look all he wanted. He'd never get his hands on Ruby...

"So, can you dance?" she asked. He looked at her, and by the time he did, her face wore a bright smile. If she had to guess, the poor boy probably had no idea how to dance. Another similarity he had with Yang's sister.

Instead of answering her, he just avoided her eyes for a moment. He sighed, and scratched his neck. "Ruby, can I talk to you?" That question, not to mention the forlorn look in his eyes, made her arch her brow.

"Sure… What's up?"

"Come on..." Jaune suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled on her, pulling her away from the the dance floor. She could have broken free, but she decided to let him lead the way for now. They walked out of everyone's way, stopping by a wall inside the club.

Yang leaned against the wall, crossing her arms under her breasts as she stared at Jaune. She didn't say anything, waiting for Jaune to speak up first. When he did, her curiosity gave way to mild dread and she had to fight to hold back a groan.

"Ruby, I consider us friends, and I don't know what's going through your mind, or why you've been acting so weird today, but I hope you know you can talk to me."

"Oh boy," Yang muttered, under her breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

That just seemed to get under Jaune's skin. He frowned, before sighing again. "That's what I'm talking about. You've just been really weird the whole day. Look, I get if you're just feeling off today, but maybe I should go. I can just ride the metro home, or something. You and Neon can have a nice night together."

"W-wait, hold on!" Yang held up her hands, stopping Jaune in his tracks. "You can't just leave."

"Look, Ruby, I appreciate you wanting me to stay, but honestly I just want to go home and sleep. It's been a long day."

Yang's mind raced to stop him. She hadn't wanted this. She had just been trying to enjoy the moment, she hadn't meant to send the guy home. She combed her fingers through her short, dark hair.

 _What if he's mad at Ruby next time they talk? Ah, crap…_

"Okay, I'll admit it." Her words stopped him. "I've been kind weird with you lately, and I lied about why I'm acting this way."

"Why did you lie?" he asked, tilting his head. He didn't sound that upset about it, thankfully, but it was clear he wanted answers.

"Because it just seemed… easier than dealing with the truth." And that wasn't a lie. "Look, Jaune, the truth is sometimes I just feel like a different person. Like I need to be different. Like I need to be quiet and read a book, or sometimes I need to be kind of cold, and sometimes I'm… me."

And that all wasn't technically a lie. Yet Yang couldn't ignore the pang of guilt in her heart. "Look, I know it's a crappy excuse, but it's true. I just… I'm weird, I guess."

Jaune didn't say anything. He just stared at Yang, letting an awkward silence fill in the space between them, which should have been impossible because of the blaring music, but to Yang's disappointment, awkward silence beats loud music, apparently.

Thankfully he eventually did speak, an understanding smile on his face. "I guess I get that. Sometimes I feel like hanging out with my friends, other nights I just want to sit and play videogames."

"Exactly," Yang nodded.

"So everything today, you being quiet, you being cold, you being a party girl, that's all just because you felt like it?" he asked, raising his brow.

"That… sounds worse than it is. Look, I know how bad that sounds, but you know how sometimes you just need something? How you can't stop thinking about it, until you have it?" He nodded his head, slowly. "That's how it feels."

He didn't say anything, and the silence made Yang's skin crawl. "So, what do you want now?" he finally asked.

"Honestly? I just want to have fun. Have a good time," she explained. "I want to just not care, or worry about tomorrow. You know what I mean?"

Jaune stared at her, and Yang had to wonder if this guy had any idea what she meant. He didn't look like much. He looked like just a normal blond guy in a world of normal people. His hair had a nice shine to it, Yang admitted, but that was hardly anything noteworthy. Honestly, Yang would have called Jaune pretty dull if the young man wasn't Ruby's new friend.

"Yeah. I think I do." He nodded his head, taking a deep breath. "Alright then, you want to have some fun? Let's have some fun." Yang raised her brow, before he reached for her hand. On instinct, Yang pulled her arm out of his reach, but then she noticed his confused expression. Before she could say anything, he brushed it off with a grin and motioned her to follow him.

"Come on. You wanted to dance? Let's dance!" Yang followed after the man, walking with him towards the dancefloor, though looking at him go, Yang realized that Jaune was making an exaggerated strut. _Is he trying to be cool?_ She wondered, snickering at the sight.

"Well, someone's eager. Careful there, blondie, don't pull your hip out," the shorter girl teased.

"I'll have you know I'm a pretty good dancer," he replied, pumping a thumb towards his chest.

"Really?" Yang crossed her arms, clearly interested to see what Jaune thought good dancing was. "Well, be my guest. Just try not to break anything."

He smirked at her, before the two entered the dancefloor, pushing themselves through the crowd of people that filled the tiled floor. The music was just beginning to change, the slower pace replaced by a far quicker one.

Yang was ready to see the blond try to dance, moving her own body in a simple, but effect swing. Her hips swayed side to side as she kept her eyes on Jaune. The young man didn't move at first. He just stood in the crowded dancefloor, bobbing his head to the beat with an approving smile on his face.

And then he started to move, and Yang wasn't sure if she was impressed or annoyed. Jaune stomped on the ground with both of his feet, moving his chest side to side. He placed a hand on his chest, patting it to the quick rhythm of the song.

Yang wasn't sure what was in control. Jaune or the song. He must have heard this song before, how else could he move in such perfect sync with it? He moved his hands to the pounding electronic beats, as if he was the one making them, before he went down.

He didn't fall. No, he actually slid forward on his knees, stopping just short of hitting someone. A nearby woman gasped as Jaune stopped in front of her. He smiled sheepishly at her, before he rose up, not even using his hands to lift himself back up.

It was almost something like a music video. He lifted himself up until he was on the tips of his sneakers, before he began to retreat back, swinging his arms to the song. The woman Jaune had almost slid into laughed, and she began to talk to her friends, pointing at Jaune.

With a small group of fans watching him now, Jaune continued to dance. He came back towards Yang, keeping his back to her as he entertained his growing fandom. Yang had to pick her jaw up as she watched Jaune lift up a leg and bounce it off the ground, spinning as the crowd cheered him on.

Maybe it was his skill at dancing, maybe it was just luck, or maybe he was just good at making his mistakes look like they were on purpose. Either way, Jaune was impressing on the dancefloor, and soon a small circle of space surrounded the blond. People all around him cheered, bouncing their heads and arms to the music as they watched.

Yang was the only one still standing in the circle, and her dance moves paled in comparison to jiving and bouncing Jaune Arc.

Jaune fell forward again, sliding in on his hands this time. The crowd shouted in approval, beaming as his legs kicked and spun in the air as he supported all of his weight on his hands. He bounced a few times, before changing position again. Yang's jaw, recently picked up, fell towards the floor again as she came to a complete stop.

He had stood up, only to quickly fall back onto the floor. Momentum carried him, letting him spin on his back, legs up and arms guarding his head. When he began to slow down, he jerked his body, rolling on his shoulders, or even his head to pick up speed again. His legs kicked at the air, and stomping the air to the beat of the song.

The crowd loved it, and their screams almost overwhelmed the music for Yang. Jaune stopped himself with one hand, and used the other to grab his ankle, posing on the ground as the song came to an end. Whether Jaune accented the music, or visa versa, their symbiotic relationship ended with wild applause.

People rushed by Yang to greet Jaune, smacking his back and praising his performance. The blond just smiled, his cheeks a bright shade of red. He quickly pulled away from the crowd, and towards Yang stunned body.

"I… How…? What…?" Yang blinked, one of her brows twitching as she tried to understand what just happened.

"I really liked dancing when I was younger," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "So, what'd you think?"

"I… I think I need a minute," she replied, finally smiling at the older man. "That was pretty insane, though. I mean… I did not think you were going to do so well. Honestly, I thought you were just going to fall on your face."

"That's me. Jaune Arc, handsome and full of surprises." He aimed his index fingers at her, and made tiny little 'pew, pew' sound effects. Yang just rolled her silver eyes as another song began to play.

"Well, Mr. Arc, got any more surprises for round two?" The two grinned at one another, and Yang had to admit, maybe hanging out with Jaune wasn't going to be so bad.

* * *

Yang felt recharged, and practically brimming with energy. She was shocked to admit, but Blondie, Jaune's official nickname, was actually pretty fun to hang out with. When he wasn't moping by himself, he was a nice guy to hang out with.

Maybe not cool, but fun.

Best of all, he was seriously fun to dance with. Neon and Yang had danced together plenty of times, but it was clear Jaune was a step above their self-taught moves. That didn't mean she couldn't compete, of course.

In fact, one of the best moments was when someone had bumped into Yang, pushing her towards Jaune. The young man was in the middle of a dance, but he abandoned it to help catch Yang from hitting the ground. She caught herself on his arm, and stood up, her silver eyes meeting Jaune's.

There was a moment of silence, and Yang could still see a blush on the the blond's face. It was at that moment that she decided to see just how red his face could get. Why? Well, because it seemed like fun, and for Yang, that was enough of a reason to do a lot of things.

She began to dance in front of him, moving her hips from side to side as her slender fingers went through Ruby's short hair. Yang gyrated her hips with a thin smirk on her face, and the small crowd voice their approval as she turned herself around, letting everyone look at her body.

Jaune was frozen, eyes wide open. Yang smiled to herself, before she began to step forward, moving with a supermodel's strut. She whipped her short hair around, lifting her arms in rhythm to the song. She turned her head, until Jaune was only in the corner of her eyes, and she smiled, motioning him closer with a single finger.

This time, he was the one with his jaw on the floor. He moved forward, his moves slower and more nervous now as he smiled at her. Yang grinned, before continuing to heat up the dancefloor. She shook her chest, arms behind her back, turning so her back was to Jaune.

The two danced together, moving their bodies to the techno beat. Yang made no attempt to hide how beautiful she was. Her hips bounced, her breasts jiggled, her hair whipped back and forth, and god, it was fun.

Jaune, for what it was worth, was actually a gentleman behind her. He didn't even try to put his hands on her body. Yang wasn't sure how she would have reacted to him pawing at her, but he never did. He just danced behind her, keeping almost a foot's distance between them. Even when she stepped back towards him, he stepped back too, so they didn't touch.

The song ended, and Yang turned to look at Jaune's face. He was so red, she was almost worried about him. She laughed, wiping sweat from her brow.

"That was pretty good, Blondie."

"T-thanks," he replied, clearly out of breath. He let out a loud yawn, and despite trying to hide it behind his hand, Yang still noticed.

"Sleepy?" She chuckled, looking towards the bar. "Yeah, me too. Let me go grab Neon and we can head home, okay?" Jaune nodded his head, and the two began to walk off the dancefloor, waving goodbye to the friends they made there.

Jaune waited by the exit as Yang walked towards the bar. What she found there didn't really surprise her. She rolled her eyes as she found Neon, shot glass in her hand, and an empty bottle in Junior's hands. The older man glared at Yang, before glaring at the giggling, clearly drunk Neon.

"Rub-boo-boo!" Neon greeted, beaming at her friend. "What's up, girl?" She dropped the glass onto the counter, and threw her arms around Yang as soon as she was close enough. "I missed you. Up all night trying to get lucky, huh?" she mumbled.

Yang sighed, offering Junior an apologetic smile. He rolled his eyes and shooed the two off with his hand.

"Boop!" Neon poked Yang's butt, before giggling. "Firm!"

That was the thing about Neon. Some people got angry when they got drunk. Some people cried. Neon? Neon was very touchy-feely, and very affectionate. Yang felt a small surge of embarrassment, before she released Neon and helped the woman put an arm around Yang's neck. The orange-haired woman groaned as Yang started helping her walk.

"Ruuuuby," the woman whined. "Why you gotta be up all night to get lucky?"

"Alright, Neon. Come on. We're leaving."

"What? But we met here! Baby, this place has history! Remember? I called you top-heavy here!" Yang didn't say anything, just rolling her eyes again. "I miss those days. Just us two…"

"Those days haven't ended, Neon." The sober woman smiled at her friend, but Neon came to a stop, and she forced Yang to do the same. The other woman looked at Neon, expecting to see the usual wide, drunken smile Neon had after a few shots, but what she found was a scowl, and a harsh glare coming from those green eyes.

"Oh, please, Rubes. Don't give me that crap. How am I supposed to feel when you invite him along for our night? I'm the third wheel." Neon looked away, pouting as she glared at a wall.

"You are not a third wheel! Come on, Neon," Yang sighed, only for Neon to pull her arm away from the other girl. Neon stepped back, almost stumbling as she crossed her arms.

"Look, if you want to make kissy face with the guy, just ask him out. Don't drag me out to make a tricycle," muttered the girl.

"Ask him out? Neon, I don't want to ask Jaune out! I barely know him!" she replied without a second thought.

"Bull. Shit," the orange-haired woman scoffed. "Ruby, you won't stop talking about the guy. I'm not blind. I know you like him."

Yang's brow wrinkled, but it wasn't because of Neon. It was something else, someone else that was bothering her. How much did Ruby talk about Jaune to Neon? More importantly, was Ruby really interested in Blondie?

She shook her head again, holding up her hands. "Neon, listen to me. I promise, I don't like Jaune. He's just a friend."

Neon glared at Yang, peering into the woman's silver eyes. "You promise?" she asked, swaying a bit.

"I promise," Yang replied.

Neon stepped forward. She walked past Yang, before immediately tripping and falling forward. Yang quickly caught the liquored up woman, sighing in relief when Neon didn't fight her.

"Don't gow, Rubee… I thon't wahnt…" Neon's words slurred into each other, before she stopped moving and simply let her body go limp. Yang took a deep breath, before closing her eyes. She did her best to help her friend towards the exit, where Jaune waited for them.

The blond raised his eyebrow at the sight, but Yang just shook her head, telling him not to ask. The two walked out of the club, Neon mumbling in the woman's arms.

* * *

Thankfully Jaune was sober enough to drive the group back home. Yang helped Neon to her door where her friend, a man named Flynt, helped her inside. He thanked Yang, before bidding her goodnight. Flynt even told Yang that she could drive Neon's car back home, saying Neon would get it back later.

The drive back to Ruby's apartment wasn't quiet, but Yang almost wished it was. She forced herself to smile, forced herself to make small talk, all while her brain was racing a mile a minute.

Everything she said, the jokes she made, and the smiles she forced on her face, everything was plagued by a painful question prodding her mind.

Had Ruby fallen for Jaune?

The car came to a stop, and Yang and Jaune sat in the car in the longest stretch of silence since the library earlier that day. The young woman wondered if he was expecting to be invited up to Ruby's room.

The thought made her scowl, her fingers pinching her dress' fabric. Jaune's voice broke her out of her quiet thoughts, and back to reality.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Yng turned her head to him as her thoughts went to war with each other. _He seems nice. So did Adam. Ruby likes him. But how much? Should I ask her? No, she'd never tell me about it. She'd just deny it._

Yang could still remember the day Summer was institutionalized. Ruby remembered bits and pieces, but it was the job of an alt to protect the main personality. Yang remembered most of it, and just the memory made her sick. Summer was locked away, and labelled as crazy.

What if Jaune was just another Adam in the waiting? What if he was just playing the nice guy to earn Ruby's trust? What if it all blew up in her face? Ruby couldn't take another Adam. Neither could Yang…

 _What if he's like Tai?_ How could Yang trust anyone after her own father betrayed her!?

But there was one fear buried below the surface thoughts. A single fear that steeled Yang's nerves, and made up her mind. It wasn't a conscious thought, but rather a worm buried in her subconscious, burrowed deep in the corner of her fragment of the mind.

 _What if there was nothing wrong with Jaune?_

"Hey, Jaune? Can I ask you something?" Yang asked, putting on a natural, friendly smile.

"Sure. What's up?" he asked, returning the gesture.

"What…?" She paused, doing her best impersonation of her little sister. She even rose the pitch of her voice, making her sound more like a nervous Ruby. "What are you looking for in this relationship...?"

The question surprised him, and his eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to be honest with you," she turned her head, staring down at her legs. "I don't want to date you." Jaune didn't move. He didn't gasp in shock, or stutter, or anything dramatic like that. He just stared at her, a much more subdued reaction than Yang was expecting.

But she didn't stop, and she didn't let up. If she was going to stop history from repeating itself, she had to be firm.

"You're a nice guy. Really nice," she began. "But I don't like you that way. I don't think I could ever like you that way." Still nothing. Not even a frown. "So I need you to understand that this, what we have, isn't going anywhere. Ever. I just wanted someone to talk to, and you seemed really nice, so…" Yang allowed herself to trail off, waiting for Jaune to say something.

Eventually, he did. "Okay," he nodded his head. "I understand."

Yang lifted up her eyebrow, confused by the lack of reaction. "Are you sure? I just don't want you mistaking anything I do or say as me wanting a boyfriend. You're really nice and all, but-"

"But you don't want to date me. It's okay. I get it." He nodded his head.

"Oh. Okay." She nodded in return. The air in the car couldn't be anymore awkward. Yang reached for the door handle, but stopped. She took a deep breath, and blew hot air out of her nose. "One last thing." As if the conversation wasn't bad enough.

Jaune didn't say anything. He just watched her as she continued. "I can be… like a completely different person sometimes." He nodded his head. "And that's not your fault, that's just me being me. What I mean is, maybe you'll think I'm flirting with you-" The idea of Ruby flirting with any boy made Yang shiver in disgust. "Or I'm trying to be more than just friends with you. Don't listen to me. I know how crazy it sounds, but if I ever start acting that desperate, you need to shoot me down. You need to tell me you want to be just friends with me, okay?"

Jaune didn't say anything at first. It was like his brain was moving at half the speed Yang's was. He finally replied just after her skin began to crawl from waiting so long. "Alright."

"Great." Her reply was only a little sarcastic. "Okay. Well, I'm going to get some sleep." She had to stop herself from telling him they could still be 'just friends.' She didn't want to make the guy feel any worse about himself. "I'll see you later, Blond-er...Jaune."

"I'll see you later, Ruby." He smiled at her, before they both exited the car and went their separate ways. Yang to her apartment, and Jaune to his own parked car.

* * *

When Jaune returned home, Ren and Nora were crowded around the dinner table, looking at something. At the moment, he didn't really care. He didn't bother greeting the two as he closed and locked the door behind him.

"Jaune! You'll never guess what we got in the mail!" Nora beamed. She grinned at him, but her smile vanished as soon as she stared at him. He didn't understand why was looking at him like that, until he realized he wasn't smiling. "Hey, what happened?" she questioned, concern in her eyes.

"Nothing. I'm alright. Just tired." He pulled on the corners of his lips, forcing himself to smile at her. "I'm going to head to bed. I'll talk to you guys in the morning." He was practically inviting one of them to ask if he was okay, but he couldn't muster up the strength to lie any better to them.

He went to his room and closed the door behind him. He let out a sigh and his shoulders fell as he fell on his bed, exhausted from the day. His feet and knees ached, his clothes clung to his skin, and his mind was still racing in a circle around what Ruby told him.

Jaune wished he could just stop thinking. He didn't understand why what Ruby said bothered him so much, but it did.

He hadn't even thought about dating Ruby before tonight. Now the question was plaguing half of his thoughts, and the other half just kept repeating what she had said in the car. All in all, he felt like crap.

 _Come on,_ he groaned. _You didn't help her because you wanted to date her._ He could still remember her sitting alone, crying, terrified. He wanted to help her because it was the right thing to do.

But now… It wasn't that he was mad at her for not wanting to date him. That was fine, he told himself. He didn't like it, but it was... fine. But the way she said it was what really bothered him. She made it sound like ending up with him was something she'd only do if she was desperate.

What he that bad? He hadn't thought so, but…

Jaune thought the night had been going well. Maybe it wasn't great, but he thought things between him and Ruby were better after this afternoon. But now all of this…?

He had no right to be angry, he told himself. Jaune repeated it again and again that he shouldn't be angry. Yet he couldn't help himself. He felt pissed off, and that made him feel guilty, and all together he just felt like shit as he laid on his bed, glaring at the ceiling.

Ruby was acting like a completely different person, and what she said before walking away… She wasn't acting like his friend. She was acting like…

He sighed, and rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was. He could barely keep his eyes open.

A knock on his door helped keep him awake, and he groaned out, "Come in." The door opened, and Ren stepped inside.

"Do you need help?" the dark-haired man inquired.

"No."

"Is anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Jaune hesitated, before sighing. "Not really."

"We'll discuss it in the morning then. Are you hungry at all?" Ren never raised his voice. He never sounded angry. He was calm, something Jaune needed at the moment.

Jaune shook his head, and Ren nodded.

"If you need either of us, you know where to find us. Goodnight, Jaune." The two boys didn't say anything else each other. Ren closed the door behind him, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts once more.

With no one to talk to, and his thoughts just repeating themselves, Jaune eventually began to drift to sleep. His eyelids felt heavy, and his mind felt like it was filled with thoughts began to sink as he quickly fell asleep, and dreamed of red roses.

 **END**

I wanted to get this chapter done a long, long time ago. Weeks ago. Sadly, as some of you may know, my father passed away very recently. It's been some heavy news, and I've been pretty busy because of it. I ended writing this story partly in an airport, and finished the rest of it in California, a day before his funeral.

I thank all of you for your patience, and I'm hopeful the next update will be on time. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I promise to be better.

On a lighter note, big stuff happening this chapter, and I even had to take out a major subplot. Eagle eye viewers might be able to figure it out by reading between the lines.

Yang pulls a controversial move, as many of you can tell. I understand that people probably think she's overstepping her boundaries, and she probably is, but I do want to stress that her decision is mostly for Ruby's sake (and maybe a little selfish based). I definitely wanted this story to be full of grey. Lots of people doing bad, or questionable things for the sake of others, or because they have trust issues, or due to past traumas.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter for the most part. I'm sorry again for the wait. I hope you all take care, and I'll see you next time, hopefully on time. Sadly due to circumstances mentioned above, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll leave a date and hopefully meet it on time.

Love ya!

Next Update: September 5th, 2018.


	7. A Memory of You and I

**A Memory of You and I**

Jaune walked out of his bedroom with a long yawn and heavy, lumbering feet. He entered the kitchen, rubbing his numb face as he looked for his sugary cereal. He felt exhausted, to the point where he wondered why he even tried sleeping. He dragged himself into the kitchen, when a high-pitched, ecstatic voice greeted him.

"Morning, sunshine!"

He would have jumped if he had the energy. He hadn't even noticed Nora sitting at the table, scarfing down a stack of pancakes. She smiled at him as Jaune turned around to find Ren at the stove, scrambling some eggs.

"I made you breakfast. There's a cup of hot chocolate for you too." Ren didn't turned to look at Jaune, merely motioning to a plate sitting on the counter with his spatula.

"Oh. Thanks, Ren." The cook nodded his head as Jaune took the food and brought it to the table. He sat across from Nora, and before he could even take a bite of his food, the orange-haired woman spoke up.

"So son, you want to talk about last night?"

"Huh...?" He looked up from his food, brow raised. "What'd you mean, Nora?"

"Last night you seemed upset. We just want to make sure everything is okay with you," Ren explained, turning the stove off and pushing his own food onto a plate. "I told you we were going to talk about it in the morning."

"Oh. Right," Jaune could recall the memory, but it almost felt like days ago. He shook his head, trying in vain to wake his mind up. He eventually sighed in defeat, and lifted the food into his mouth. "It's nothing, guys. Really."

"Liar," Nora pouted, finishing another pancake.

"Jaune, it's important to talk about whatever's troubling you. It'll just get worse if you don't talk about it."

The blond mentally groaned, reminded of how annoying it was to have a roommate that studied psychology. "Guys, can we not do this right now?. Can we talk about something else? Please?"

Usually the blonde wasn't so short with his friends, but he simply wasn't in the mood to answer their questions. He felt like he had slept on a bed of rocks, and his mood certainly wasn't helped by being reminded of last night...

What Ruby had said to him still struck a nerve, and Jaune was unfortunately the kind of guy who hated burdening others with his problems.

He sighed, taking a long sip from his hot chocolate. The sweet nectar burned, but it still woke him up and bathed him in a warm euphoria. It was one of his favorite drinks, and on a cold, January morning, it was just what he needed.

"Alright," Ren sighed in acceptance. "If you don't want to talk about it, we won't fight you on it." Jaune caught Nora pouting, but she didn't argue, agreeing with her boyfriend. "Besides, there's something else we need to discuss."

Ren picked something off of the counter, and Jaune raised his brow as he realized it was a white piece of paper, with almond-colored writing and dark-red roses decorating the corners. The dark-haired man handed Jaune the letter, and the blonde's eyes widened within moments.

"Fox and Coco are getting married…? In Hawaii!?" Jaune read the letter again, his eyes combing over it as his jaw hung open.

" _Dear Friends and Family,_

 _We request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of a lifetime. Coco Adel and Fox Alistair are to be married on March 8th, 2018, on the beaches of Waikiki. We eagerly hope to see you there, and please know all guests are allowed a plus one as long as the bride and groom are notified ahead of time."_

"We're going to Hawaii!" Nora cheered, throwing her hands into the air. "Isn't that awesome?! I got to go get a new swimsuit!"

"Wait, we're going? To Hawaii?" Jaune's voice squeaked, much to his embarrassment.

 _I can't believe Coco and Fox are getting married..._

He still remembered first meeting the two when he was a high school freshman. He had joined the Drama Club with Pyrrha, and they met the costume designer, Coco Adel. From there, Jaune's group of friends met Coco's, and despite the age difference of a year, both groups became fast friends.

Jaune remembered how happy Coco had been when Fox asked her out to the end of the year dance… And now they were getting married?

"They sent us a 'Save the Date' letter months ago," Ren reminded. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"I… Uh… Yeah," Jaune replied. "I mean, I'm not against going, I'm just worried about money, and time. I mean, you two have classes, right?"

"Nope!" Nora grinned. "Wedding takes place over Spring Break! We've got plenty of time to enjoy it and come back here!"

"As for money, We should be fine. Coco and Fox even suggested some cheap airlines we can take," Ren added.

"Wait, so…We're actually going to Hawaii…?" Jaune repeated the words to himself, as if his brain just couldn't comprehend it.

"It'd be the polite thing to do," Ren commented. He bit into his eggs before continuing. "They are our friends, and they did go to the trouble of inviting us."

"Yeah! It's been like, five-ever since we last saw them! Yatsuhashi and Velvet are still in town, but we haven't seen Coco and Foxy Boy since their going away party!"

Jaune remembered that, as well. It was after the group had graduated from high school. Coco was leaving not just Vale, but the United States. She was off for London, where she was going to study at a renowned university, and Fox was going with her to support his girlfriend. It was the last time Jaune saw the two…

That had been about six years ago, back when he and Pyrrha were still dating, and the full weight of time made Jaune's shoulders ache. _Had it really been so long?_ he wondered.

"Hey, what's with that face, Jaune?" Nora's word knocked him out his thoughts, and he looked at her toothy grin. "This is good news! We're gonna see all of our friends again!"

"Sounds great," Jaune muttered, forcing a smile onto his face. He was desperate to match the girl's enthusiasm, but that was close to impossible for him.

"I think we need to address the elephant in the room."

"Huh? Elephant?" Nora looked around the room, as if she really was looking for an elephant. "Jaune, I think Ren's drunk. He's seeing elephants…!" she loudly whispered, leaning towards Jaune and earning a chuckle out of the blonde.

"Very funny," Ren sighed. "What I mean is, Coco and Fox are inviting all of their friends to the wedding, old and new. "

Jaune's eyes widened, and he groaned as realization set in. He hadn't even realized it, but-

"They've probably invited Pyrrha to the wedding."

"Oh." Nora might as well have just been smacked across her face. She seemed paralyzed in her seat, taking slow, long breaths. Her eyes hung open as she sat there, before her eyes slowly turned away from Ren, and onto her breakfast. She left the remaining pancakes alone as she sat there in quiet contemplation. "Do you think she'll come...?"

She didn't wait for either of the boys to answer as Nora answered her own question.

"I mean, she's not gonna come, right?" She tried to put on a smile, but her tone was bitter. Spiteful. Nothing like the light, bubbly tone it usually was. "I mean, she's missed Thanksgiving, Halloween, all of our birthdays… She's not gonna come for this, right?"

Ren shrugged, and Jaune found the answer incredibly unsatisfying. The blonde opened his mouth, only for his eyes to widen as Nora's rant continued, growing steadily louder, and more passionate. "I mean, we haven't heard from her in a year! I mean, she hasn't called any of us. Not even a text!"

"She's been busy," Jaune replied. "I mean, she's trying to be a star. Auditions, contracts, all that kind of stuff…" He tried to defend his ex-girlfriend, but he was stunned as Nora turned to glare at him.

"But we're her friends! Her best friends! We're supposed to matter to her!" Nora argued. "But she just...dumped us." The fire in her voice was extinguished as Ren placed his hand on her shoulder. Nora's blue eyes looked at Jaune, and she winced. "I-I'm sorry. I… That was a bad choice of words, I just…"

"It's okay, Nora." Jaune nodded his head, but they fell on deaf ears.

"I should be the one sorry," Ren sighed. "I didn't want to upset either of you. I just thought you two should realize it's a possibility."

Jaune noticed Nora open her mouth, but whatever she was going to say never made it past her lips. She hesitated, before mumbling, "I don't think we should get our hopes up." Jaune knew she really meant that he shouldn't get his hopes up…

There was something truly heartbreaking about hearing Nora sound so dejected...

"I'll talk to Coco about if she's heard from Pyrrha. For now, I think it might be best to change the conversation topic," Ren suggested.

Jaune nodded his head, trying to ignore the writhing in his gut. He returned to his food, quietly eating away at it as Nora tried to lift their spirits up. Sadly, even though she was smiling, her voice lacked the natural warmth it typically had.

"Hey, you know what you should do? The invite mentioned inviting a plus one, why don't you invite Ruby?! She'll be on Spring Break too! And who doesn't want to go to Hawaii?"

Those words almost made Jaune choke on his food. "Wait, what? Invite Ruby? But she doesn't even know Coco and Fox."

"So? What's that thing your mom used to say about strangers and friends? I'm just saying, if Ren was invited to a tropical paradise, and he got to bring a plus one, he better bring me!" The blue-eyed girl beamed, looking at her boyfriend.

"Not the words I'd choose, but you have been hanging out with Ruby a lot lately. I think you should at least let her know about the wedding. Ask if she'd like to accompany us."

"Traveling is always better with friends," Nora grinned. "Ooh, we should all go snorkeling together! Ooh, shark diving!"

"Nora, no, we're not-"

"Lava surfing!"

"Not a real sport."

Jaune felt the corners of his lips rise as he listened to his friends bicker. It was some nice levity to the morning, and something he needed after yesterday. But as he listened to Nora and Ren talk about what the trip, he found himself lost in his thoughts again.

 _Hawaii…._ He didn't want to go, if he was being honest. He hated traveling. He hated planes. He hated the idea of going without Pyrrha by his side.

 _And Ruby… What if I do invite her?_ Some part of him told him to do it. Ruby was awesome to hang out with, and Nora was right. Travelling was better with friends.

Yet the idea didn't sit well on his mind. He just felt… scared? Anxious? Worried? Whatever it was, it left him feeling sick to his stomach, like he was already on the plane. Jaune sighed, quietly eating his food as he tried to push the thoughts aside...

Instead, all he found were memories of a time he wanted to forget.

* * *

Jaune was 18 years old. Young, stupid, and in love with Pyhrra Nikos. Well, younger, and stupider.

He was sitting on his bed as Pyrrha quietly read her book. A typical Saturday night, with the only thing of note being that Jaune had to practice a song for Coco and Fox's going away party.

The blonde strummed his guitar, feeling his fingers pulling on the strings as he thought. He glanced at the notes of the song. Velvet said this was one of Coco's favorite, and he really wanted to get it right, but his fingers just refused to work for him.

"Hey, Pyr." She looked up from her book, glancing at him with those beautiful, emerald eyes he loved so much. "Top three places you want to go before you die."

"Excuse me?" She blinked, staring at him, before a knowing smile formed on her face. "Are you trying to use me to distract you, Jaune?"

"No..." he replied, fingers tapping on his guitar. "Okay, yes." Pyrrha laughed, and he grinned. He got her to laugh, and that was another victory in his book. "Come on, tell me. Top three places you want to go before you die."

"Alright, alright. Hm… Paris."

"Ah, yes, the City uv Luve!" Jaune grinned, trying his best to sound French. Of course, there was a reason Pyrrha was the actress between the two. Still, he made her laugh again, and that was enough.

"Well, yes. It's a bit cliche, but I'd love to go there one day."

"I don't think it's cliche. It's nice," he replied. "Where else?"

"Why don't you tell me about where you'd like to go? Then I'll tell you."

"Fair enough. Tokyo," Jaune grinned. "Anime, videogames, and there's just so much culture… It sounds super cool." Pyrrha nodded, grinning at the idea.

"That sounds lovely. Hm… I would like to go to…" The beautiful redhead tapped a finger against her chin, staring at the ceiling. "Italy. Venice, specifically. A chance to ride on a gondola… That would be a dream come true." She was lost in her own imagination for a moment, smiling as she envisioned the trip.

"Man, you sure you have some high expectations. I'll have to save up for, like, a whole two months to get us money for Venice," he chuckled, nervously.

"Jaune, you know you don't have to take me," Pyrrha replied with a good-natured smile. "I'm sure we'll find our way there sooner or later."

"Yeah, maybe… But I'd be a pretty amazing boyfriend if I took you to Venice, huh?" Jaune grinned at Pyrrha, and she chuckled.

"You don't need Venice to be amazing, Jaune. You just need to be yourself," she explained, in that kind, sweet tone he loved to hear from her. He smiled at her, though he couldn't resist making a small joke.

"Yeah, maybe. But Venice can't hurt, right?" Pyrrha rolled his eyes as Jaune's fingers aimlessly stroked the guitar strings.

"Your turn," she replied, leaning back in her seat, her book closing around one of her fingers to keep her place.

"Hm… Second place I'd want to go to? Maybe somewhere in the country. Like a small town. I've lived in Vale my entire life, and…" He hesitated, trying to find the right words for how he felt. Pyrrha waited patiently, a gentle, beautiful curve to her lips. He stared into those brilliant, emerald eyes as he continued. "I don't know. It just sounds like a nice change of pace."

"I understand that. Vale is as big of a city as one gets. Somewhere smaller, and less crowded would be a nice change of pace."

"Your turn. Place number three."

"Hawaii." Jaune shouldn't have been surprised, really, but Pyrrha just chuckled at his pouting face. "At least I picked somewhere in the US."

"Yeah, and about a thousand miles across the ocean. Couldn't pick New Jersey or something? That's like a couple of hours away if we took my car."

"Sorry," Pyrrha replied with an amused smile. He accepted her apology as she stood out of her chair and walked over to his bed. She sat beside him and leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulders as he they looked into each other's eyes. "So, what's your third place?"

"Easy. The moon." Pyrrha blinked, and Jaune savored the confused look on his girlfriend's face. "Sure would love to go to the moon. I'd be pretty heartbroken if I never got to go. Just saying."

"That's not fair." the woman huffed, though her frustration was quickly replaced with a giggle as the two laughed together. "Well, it seems I'll need to save up too, won't I?"

"Ah, I don't need the moon to be happy. Just a few kisses from my girlfriend is enough, I think."

"A few?" she repeated, her eyes relaxing into a half-lidded gaze.

Jaune felt his cheeks burn as he licked his lips and swallowed down his nerves. He ushered her closer and, in his smoothest voice, whispered, "I'll tell you when it's enough."

* * *

Ruby woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. She moaned, trying to stretch only for her arms to remain still. She blinked, and realized her eyes weren't moving. A moment of terror filled her heart, before relief washed over her.

" _Morning, sis!"_

" _Yang, you scared me. Did you wake us up?"_

It was rare, but there were times in Ruby's life when she'd wake up to find someone else in control. It was strange. She could see her hands preparing breakfast, dashing some salt onto the eggs. She could see her hands, but she couldn't control them.

Surreal was probably the best word for it, and honestly, surreal was probably the word that described her entire life.

" _Yep! Even made breakfast for you! You ready to eat?"_ Yang asked.

Ruby nodded her head, a pointless gesture considering she had no head to nod with, technically speaking. "Er, sure! Thanks!" she replied after realizing Yang couldn't even see the gesture. Ruby watched as Yang pushed the food onto a plate, before taking it to the couch. She sat down, and Ruby could feel her sister leaving the 'driver's seat.'

The young woman slipped in to replace the personality, and Ruby swayed as she felt mild whiplash. Yang had clearly been awake for a while. Ruby, on the other hand, just woke up. Her body went from not tired to tired in a couple of seconds, and it left the dark-haired girl whoozy.

" _You okay, sis?"_

"Yeah. Just a head rush…" Ruby rubbed her forehead, before lifting up a forkful of egg and biting into it. She winced a little. Yang didn't really know how to cook all that well, at least not for other people. Ruby didn't have the heart to tell her sister she over salted the eggs. "How long have you been up?"

" _Like an hour."_

"Is anyone else up?"

" _Nope. Just you and me!"_

Ruby nodded her head as she took another bite of the scrambled eggs. "How was yesterday? What did you think of Jaune?" she asked, trying not to sound too curious.

She had no recollection of last night. In fact, Ruby didn't even remembering going to bed. The only memories she had were going to school, and then switching with Blake after class. Ruby had kept to herself, either 'sleeping' in their mind, or keeping herself busy with her own thoughts and imagination in her Room.

If Ruby was being honest, she found it rather dull, and she really wished she had the chance to at least say goodbye to Jaune, but she shrugged it off. She'd have plenty of other chances to talk to him.

" _Oh, yeah. It was great. Did you know Blondie dances?"_ Yang replied.

"Jaune dances? Wait, like me? Or is he more...?"

"He's actually pretty good at dancing."

 _So not me._ Ruby blinked, clearly surprised by the news. "Huh. You think you know a guy. So what'd you guys do?"

"Went to a club."

The young woman's eyes widened, and her food almost fell out of her open mouth."Wait, what?" she asked through a mouthful of food.

" _Calm down, nothing bad happened, sis,"_ Yang replied. _"Me, Neon, and Jaune just hung out at Junior's for a bit. Danced. Had a few drinks. Everything was fine."_

"I'm not going to get a hangover, am I?" It was a question Ruby often wondered. Yang was the only alt to drink alcohol. Ruby rarely had the stuff, and Weiss and Blake had never even touched the stuff.

" _Probably not?"_ she replied, though it was clear she wasn't sure. _"You haven't yet, I mean."_

 _Does not fill me confidence…_ There was no book on DID. Ruby just learned as she went, and plenty of times she had been proven wrong about something. The only person she could ask who had knowledge about DID was her mom and dad.

Neither of who she could talk to…

The thought of looking online for answers had crossed her mind, but Ruby found herself too scared to do it. Too worried about how other people would think she's crazy… Well, more like know she's crazy.

" _Ruby? You okay?"_

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Totally. Maybe later I'll call Jaune and see if he wants to hang out. If you approve, of course," the dark-haired girl teased, smiling at her reflection in the TV screen.

" _Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you. Got to admit, Blondie's pretty nice."_

Hearing Yang's approval brought a smile to Ruby's face, and she felt excitement bubble in her chest. It was nice to have Jaune in her life. He was just what she needed, and to hear that her sister approved just brought a smile to her face.

* * *

Ruby sent a text to Jaune, asking if he wanted to hang out later that day. She didn't get a response, and by the time the sun fell, Ruby decided to call her friend. It went straight to voicemail, leaving her pretty confused.

' _Hey! Don't know if you're busy or anything Just wanted to know if you wanted to get some burgers or something later. With me. Duh. okay, bye!'_

Ruby stared at her text, before sighing. She shook her head, burying it into her pillow as anxiety piled inside her gut.

" _Do you think he's mad at me?"_

" _Why would he be mad? We didn't do anything,"_ Weiss' voice answered.

" _He could just be busy,"_ Blake suggested.

" _Yeah, but for the whole day?!"_ Ruby wasn't convinced. It just didn't sync with the Jaune she had been getting to know.

" _Hey, come on, Rubes. I'm sure everything's fine between you two. How about you put the phone down and we play a board game together or something?"_ Yang suggested. " _We can bust out Uno, or Monopoly."_

Board games were pretty much the only way for Ruby and the alts to play games together, and Yang knew Ruby loved playing games with the three. Games tended to be pretty slow since they had to switch, but it was the closest thing that Ruby had to social interaction for a while.

Of course, videogames were next to impossible to play together. Ruby only had two hands, so even if they had a second controller, it'd be pretty pointless.

Yang knew all of this, because she was Ruby's first alternate personality, her big sister, and her best friend. She really thought that her sister would have taken her up on the offer, but Yang's suggestions did nothing for Ruby.

The girl just shrugged her shoulders lazily. "I don't know, Yang. Maybe I'll just go to sleep or something."

Yang cringed at her sister's depressed state. She couldn't understand why she was being mopey about some guy she barely knew. As she wondered why Ruby was so upset, a thought popped into her mind. A question.

Did she do this? Was Jaune mad at Ruby because of Yang?

No. Of course could she be responsible for what Jaune chooses to do? If he decides not to talk to Ruby, that was all him, and it just proved how unworthy he was to talk to her sister.

Yang, for a moment, tried to tell herself that Jaune was just another Adam waiting to happen. If she scared him off, then maybe that was for the best. If all he wanted out of Ruby was a girlfriend, then Ruby was better off without him.

One glance at her sister grounded Yang. It didn't matter right now. Jaune didn't matter. What mattered was that Yang took care of her sister.

"Hey, come on, Rubes. It'll be okay. The guy's probably just busy." Yang tried to console her sister, and Ruby let out a long sigh.

"Yeah, I know you guys are right, but… I don't know, I like talking to him. He's…" Ruby shrugged her shoulders again, sitting up on her body. "Nice?"

" _I don't know why you're so fixated on him,"_ Weiss sighed. _"I suppose he seemed polite enough, but you seem weirdly infatuated with him."_

Yang really wished Weiss had chosen a different word for it. And apparently, so did Ruby. "H-hey! I am not infatuated!" she quickly argued, her face heating up."I just want to talk to him. He's funny! He makes me laugh!"

" _Alright, no need to yell,"_ Weiss mumbled, sighing again.

Ruby was just about to say something when her phone rang. Yang kept her lips sealed as Ruby picked up her phone and gasped, seeing it was Jaune's name on the screen. She swiped her finger over the screen, before bringing it to her ear in a single moment.

"Hey, Jaune!" She kicked herself, mentally, and toned down her excitement. Maybe Weiss was right. Maybe Ruby was weird, but she pushed that thought aside. "What's up?"

"Hey, Ruby." Immediately, she knew something was wrong. Jaune sounded tired, even exhausted. She blinked in confusion, waiting for him to continue, but he was eerily quiet.

"Um, Jaune?"

"Right, sorry. I'm sorry for not responding to your texts and stuff. Just a lot on my mind."

"It's okay. What's up?" She hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip, before speaking her mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a long day," he replied. "Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow. I was going to bring home some pizzas from work."

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to," Ruby replied. "Movie night?"

"Yeah. Movie night. Um, if you have anything you want to see, bring it over. If not, we can just watch something off of Netflix or something."

"Alright. Sounds awesome."

"Alright, see ya tomorrow." Before Ruby could stop Jaune, he hung up the phone, and the call ended.

"Wait, Ja-" She sighed, dropping her phone onto her bed. "He seemed upset…"

"He did say he had a long day at work," Yang reminded.

"Yeah, I guess…"

"I mean, people say that sort of thing all the time. It's called lying," Weiss commented.

"Wow. Really?" Yang didn't want to sound mad, but she couldn't stop herself from growling. "How would you even know? You barely talk to anyone, Weiss."

That silenced the other personality, and Yang felt a pang of guilt. She didn't mean to upset her, she just didn't want Weiss to upset Ruby. Yang considered apologizing to the other alt, and she wanted to, but nothing came out of her.

So Yang just sighed quietly to herself and continued to try and help her sister. Despite her best efforts though, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

* * *

Ruby was picked up by Nora the next night. The orange-haired girl grinned and waved at Ruby as she entered the car, and the two traded small talk. Ruby considered asking her about their mutual friend, but she kept her questions to herself. If Nora could tell something was wrong, she didn't say anything about it.

Eventually the two made it to the apartment, and stepped inside. They entered the humble home and found Jaune and Ren setting down several boxes of pizza onto the counter.

"Honey! We're home!" Nora declared, waving at the two boys. Ren just gave his girlfriend a small, quick smile before returning to setting out the pizzas.

Jaune, on the other hand, placed the box he was holding on the counter and walked towards Ruby with a smile. She stared at him, her silver eyes combing over his face to find something off, but he looked completely fine.

Weirder still, he acted fine. He smiled at her, holding his hand out to take her coat.

"Hey, Rubes. Glad you could make it."

"Thanks. Um, you okay, Jaune?"

"Yeah. Come on, pizzas hot and ready. I got some soda too, if you want."

If it weren't for the call yesterday, she would have thought nothing was wrong, and she wanted to believe that, but… Ruby shook her head and handed her coat to Jaune. She tried to smile, but she was sure she looked awkward.

"Awesome! Thanks for inviting me…"

"No problem."

Ruby joined the three friends around the table, and they each sat down. Ruby sat between Nora and Jaune and Ren sat across from her. For a moment, the dark-haired woman really felt like everything was okay.

It was moments like this she missed most after leaving Patch. Just friends hanging out. Nights in with her pals, laughing and joking around. Nora was making a show of rolling her pizza slices like burritos, Ren was quietly watching her, and Jaune was chowing down on his pineapple pizzas.

"So what movies do you guys want to see tonight?" Ruby inquired.

"Well, I couldn't pick between two movies," Nora grinned. "Lilo and Stitch, or Snakes on a Plane!"

Ruby noticed Jaune giving Nora a weird look. It was like a glare, but less upset. He just shook his head and returned to his dinner.

"Sounds cool. I love both of those movies," Ruby confessed.

"Mmm! Woman after my own heart!" Nora beamed, placing a hand over her heart and 'swooning.'

"There's something we should discuss before the movie," Ren announced, catching Ruby's attention. "Jaune, would you like to tell her?" The stoic man turned his bright eyes to Jaune, who stopped mid-chew.

"Wight now?" he asked through a mouthful of pizza. Ren nodded his head as Ruby stared in confusion.

The alts, who had been mostly quiet for the night, pushed themselves to the front of Ruby's mind to watch with her, voicing their own thoughts.

" _Finally, some answers,"_ Weiss muttered.

" _What do you think he's going to say?"_ Yang wondered.

Blake was silent, but Ruby could still feel her presence in her mind as Jaune swallowed his food down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He opened his mouth, glancing at Ruby, only to look away.

"Where to start…?" he sighed. "Okay, Ruby, you know how I have an ex-girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I never told you who she was. She was-she is a good friend of mine, and she even grew up with me, Ren, and Nora," Jaune explained. "Her name is Pyrrha Nikos."

At first the words didn't add up for Ruby. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for him to laugh the whole thing off as a joke. Weiss did not take the news so silently, and of all the alternate personalities, she was the most vocal in her reaction, to the point where Ruby winced at the sudden emotion she was feeling.

She could feel Weiss' shock to the point where her fingers were curling into fists. Weiss almost took control, unintentionally, but Ruby was able to maintain control.

" _Wait, what? Ask him which Pyrrha Nikos! Ask him what he means! He can't be talking about Pyrrha Nikos!"_

"W-wait. I'm confused. Pyrrha Nikos? Like the-?"

"Like the TV/movie star. Yeah. The same."

Ruby blinked. She felt all four parts of her brain fizzle out as she tried to comprehend the news.

"We all knew her when she was just Pyrrha Nikos. Drama nerd and super athlete," Nora commented, before finishing her pizza burrito. She smiled at Ruby, like a bomb hadn't just been dropped on the young woman's brain.

Weiss took it the hardest though, even as she tried to understand the new. _"Wait, no. Hold on. Jaune Arc. That Jaune Arc."_ Ruby felt her left index finger unfurl and point at Jaune, and Ruby wondered if Weiss realized what she was doing. " _He dated Pyrrha Nikos, an actual actress and singer. A celebrity. That's… that's not… How?!"_

Ruby's mouth opened, and she was scared it was Weiss' voice that would have come out. Thankfully nothing did, as she tried to keep up with the conversation.

"W-wait, wait. You dated Pyrrha Nikos? Like the one who stars in 'Champions,' and who sings, and… and all that stuff."

Of course Ruby knew who Pyrrha was. Pyrrha was a rising star for many. She wasn't world famous or anything, but she had been in enough movies and TV shows to gain a fanbase. She had appeared in several different dramas as a one episode character, where she showed off her many talents. Gymnastics, singing, dancing... She even did her own stunts!

Pyrrha Nikos was going places, and… and she used to date Jaune? Nora and Ren were friends with her?

" _Whoa. Blondie's got game,"_ Yang whistled.

" _Hm,"_ Blake added.

" _How?!"_ Weiss repeated.

"I-I'm confused," Ruby admitted.

"We were friends with Pyrrha before she was famous. She grew up in Vale, with us. She and Jaune dated for several years before breaking up, and she left for California," Ren explained, his tone remaining as calm as ever.

"Yeah," Jaune nodded, tapping his fingers against the table. "That's pretty much it."

"Oh. Huh." Ruby wasn't sure what to say after that. Thankfully, Jaune did.

"Um, there's more."

"Oh. Awesome." Ruby's voice cracked, and she blushed as she wondered what was next.

" _What? Is Elvis his grandfather?"_ Yang wondered.

"There's this wedding coming up between two of our high school friends. Fox and Coco. It's in Hawaii, and, well, we just wanted to…" Jaune hesitated, scratching the back of his head as he tripped over his words. "T-to...uh... let you know."

"Not just let you know!" Nora corrected, glancing at Jaune with a pout. "Invite you!" She beamed at Ruby as the girl's jaw fell open. "You want to go to Hawaii, Rubes?!"

"W-what?" All of Ruby was floored by the question, eyes widening.

"You don't have to decide now," Ren quickly added. "We know it is short notice. Take time to think about it, but it is over Spring Break so we hope you accompany us. You're good company."

"Oh. Thanks." Ruby tried to smile at the compliment, but there was so much to take in. Jaune dated a celebrity, something that was bothering Pyrrha more than she liked to admit, and now she was being asked to go to Hawaii?

That's when Weiss spoke up.

" _Ruby. I want to switch with you."_

"What?" Ruby blinked.

Jaune must have thought she was talking to him, and he was quick to repeat th "We wanted to invite to the wedding. We know you don't know Coco or Fox, or… anyone that will be there, but...uh… um." Ruby blushed, smiling at the blond as her mind raced.

"We want you there." Ren came to Jaune's rescue, and the blond nodded his head, his cheeks a subtle red.

" _We're going to Hawaii!"_ Yang cheered.

" _Hold on."_ Blake didn't sound nearly as excited as Yang was. _"That's not set in stone. We need to have a meeting about this."_

" _Right, right. But should we? I mean, Hawaii! That's great! But also, Hawaii with Jaune and his friends,"_ Yang muttered, clearly not a fan of the company they'd have to endure. _"But come on, Hawaii! That's awesome!"_

"T-this is a lot to take in," Ruby groaned, massaging her temple with two of her fingers. Her mind was filled with the alts' voices, and she could feel her head spinning as their emotions and thoughts clouded her own. It was becoming too much for her. "I…"

"Ruby? You okay?" Jaune asked, reaching for her hand.

"I'm okay." She quickly replied, yet she didn't stop his hand. His touch was nice, warm, and soft, and Ruby found her eyes glued to their fingers. "I just...need a minute to process this."

"That's entirely understandable," Ren declared. "Perhaps we should drop the subject for tonight and focus on the movie?"

"I'd like that..."

" _Ruby,"_ Weiss called out again, trying to catch the girl's attention.

" _Weiss, why do you want to come out now?!"_ Ruby's thought loudly, clearly annoyed by the alts pestering. Blake and Yang sat in silence as the main personality frowned. Usually Weiss was quiet, and cared little for socializing, but that had changed in a matter of moments, and Ruby had no idea why.

" _It's about Pyrrha. I want to ask Jaune about her. Please, Ruby, how much have I asked for over the course of my life?"_

She had a good point. Beyond time to study, Weiss didn't ask for much. Ruby would often have to ask the personality what she wanted, and sometimes Weiss would simply shrug off the question. Even Blake asked for new books to read… All Weiss ever asked for was time to work, and some peace and quiet.

Looking back, Ruby remembered Weiss standing up for her weeks ago. Weiss argued with Yang and Blake about Jaune, and even said Ruby needed friends of her own. Ruby bit her lower lip, staring at the floor, before looking at Jaune.

"Can I use the bathroom?"

* * *

Weiss walked out of the bathroom slowly, a hand on the wall as she took in her surroundings. It was… odd seeing Arc's apartment first hand. It was different seeing the world through Ruby's eyes. Weiss couldn't explain how it was different, just that it was… Like watching a movie, versus seeing the set in real life, she supposed.

"Welcome back," Nora, the orange-haired girl with the annoying voice, greeted Weiss.

" _Okay, Weiss, just act naturally. Actually since you're supposed to be me, just do the opposite of what comes naturally."_ Ruby's voice echoed in Weiss' ear, though she found the advice to be less than useful.

"H-hello!" Weiss replied, lifting up a hand to wave at Nora. The strange girl grinned at the wave for… some reason, before going back to messing with the TV, trying to play some movie on it.

" _This seems like a bad idea,"_ Yang commented, her voice barely hiding her amusement.

" _Agreed,"_ sighed Blake. _"What was so important you had to come out now of all times? This couldn't wait?"_

" _Lay off, guys. I trust Weiss. She can take a few minutes to talk to Jaune if that's what she needs."_

Weiss didn't expect any of the others to understand. She didn't need them to, though Ruby's sympathy did not go unnoticed. She almost thanked the woman, but the thought never left Weiss' little corner of the mind.

Instead, Weiss zeroed in on her target, and she approached Jaune with quick, even steps. He was putting away the pizza, wrapping it up in plastic and putting it in the fridge.

"Hey, Rubes." He smiled at her, and Weiss simply nodded in greeting. "There's still some pizza left, you want to have some before we put them away?"

"Sure," she answered quickly, without even thinking. "Can we talk?"

"Of course. What's up?" He smiled at her as he opened a couple of pizza boxes for her to pick from.

Weiss glanced at the boxes, her frown growing as she looked at one greasy pile of cheese to another. As she pondered about which poison to pick, and how to rescind her answer, she continued to speak to Jaune Arc.

"You dated Pyrrha Nikos? The Pyrrha Nikos?" she asked, raising her brow.

"Yeah. I mean, every celebrity is a normal person at some point, right? I'm sure Scarlett Johansson had a normal boyfriend before she became a big star." Weiss made a quiet note that what he said made sense, though he still said it in a very… uncoordinated and socially awkward fashion.

"I suppose that makes sense, but… Why you? There must have been plenty of people who asked her out even before she was famous, why did she say yes to you?"

" _Okay, you framed that question in literally the worst possible way!"_ Ruby groaned.

But Jaune just took the comment with a smile. "Actually, she asked me out."

Okay, Weiss could buy that Pyrrha and Jaune dated, but she had to draw a line somewhere. "You must be joking."

"Nope. Pyrrha asked me out, and I said yes. That's when we started dating."

"I…" Weiss shook her head side to side, her throat turning dry as her mouth hung open. Jaune seemed amused by her confusion, a fact that just annoyed the personality. "I… Why?"

"You know, I used to ask myself that question a lot too. Here, grab a slice and I'll tell you what she told me." Jaune opened a box and reached inside to grab a slice of pizza for himself. Weiss, not particularly caring which slice she grabbed, reached inside the same box and pulled out a slice for herself, dropping it on her plate.

The two sat down, and Weiss' eyes traveled up and down Jaune Arc, taking him in once again. He wasn't much to look at the first time she saw him, and the second time, well… He still wasn't. Jaune looked like a normal man, someone utterly dull, someone Weiss wouldn't look twice at.

So why did Pyrrha fall for this man?

"Pyrrha and I grew up together," Jaune explained. "I was actually her first friend, and she was mine. We met when we were like, five years old, when she kicked a ball into my head at the park," he chuckled.

"How… nice."

"Yeah... Pyrrha's parents were the ones who actually got her into acting." Jaune paused for a moment, lifting his pizza up to take a bite. Weiss had to fight the urge to glare at him. Her foot tapped on the floor as she waited for more information. "They wanted her to excel, even when she was a kid. Math, science, English, doesn't matter what subject it was, they pushed her to be her best."

Jaune wiped his mouth, and glanced at Weiss' plate. "Um, you sure you want to eat that? It has pineapple on it."

"Don't worry about me, Arc," Weiss grumbled, picking up the pizza slice.

For some reason, Ruby seemed displeased with the pizza Weiss had picked up." _Wait, you got pineapple! Weiss, don't you dare-"_

 _"What does it matter? It's all the same greasy junk food."_ The woman bit into the pizza, chewing into the pineapple, cheese, and crust. Ruby gagged inside her mind as the controlling personality chewed the food.

She quickly swallowed and glared at Jaune, moving her hand in a circular motion. "Well? Go on," Weiss urged. Despite the grease, she made a small mental note that it wasn't that bad. Sweet.

 _"I can't believe you just ate pineapple pizza,"_ Ruby groaned.

 _"What does it matter what was on it?"_ She didn't bother to reply, so Weiss just huffed and continued to eat the sweet and salty treat. "Go on, Arc. Er, Jaune. Go on."

"Oh, sorry. Pyrrha and I grew up in Vale together. We were best friends. Inseparable. She pushed me to pursue music, even helped me learn how to sing, and I did my best to support her in whatever she did, whether it was athletics or acting."

Weiss nodded her head. "And then you started dating. Why?"

"I asked her that a lot, and she told me it was because I just treated her like a normal person." He shrugged his shoulders, giving Weiss a small smile. "Everyone else kept treating her like she was above them, but I just talked to her like I would anyone else. I made jokes, goofed off, and just… hung out with her."

"And that led to you dating?" It was clear from her voice that Weiss was less than impressed.

"Yeah, I don't really get it either. That's just what she told me." Weiss rolled her eyes at that answer, before taking another bite of the pizza. It's sweet, juicy taste was quickly growing on her. She caught Jaune staring at her, and barely stopped herself from glaring back at the blond. "Can I ask you a question? Why so many questions about Pyrrha and me? I mean, I never knew you were such a fan of hers."

The question caused Weiss to pause, and she avoided his stare as she thought about her answer. It was true, Weiss' fascination with Pyrrha was not something she told everyone. In fact, she hadn't told anyone her whole life. Granted, she wasn't even ten years old. It's not like she had a very long life...

Much like her love of singing, Weiss' admiration for Pyrrha was something she kept close to her chest. They had nothing to do with why she existed, thus there was no reason to let Ruby and the others know about it.

Of course, that meant Jaune knew two of her secrets. _Wonderful,_ she huffed.

Weiss was born from the ashes of Ruby and Adam's relationship. After the two broke up, Weiss was created to protect Ruby from the world, to help her heal, and to help her get through high school. Singing on a stage had nothing to do with that…

"It's complicated," she finally answered.

"Do you not want to talk about it?"

"No. I mean, I can talk about it." Weiss sighed, closing her silver eyes as she pondered. She knew how likely it was that Ruby and the others would hear her answer. She weighed her options, before deciding to simply bite the bullet. It didn't matter if they knew, it was just a ridiculous, childish dream. "Growing up I knew what I had to do and what I wanted. Then I saw Nikos on TV. She was part of a musical, and she sang and danced on the stage, and… it's stupid." Weiss opened her hand and palmed her face, sighing again.

"Hey, I don't think it's stupid. I love musicals, and I know from firsthand experience how amazing Pyr is. She's really something, huh?"

Jaune was no doubt smiling at her, but Weiss didn't look at him. She was too lost in memories. "I thought I had everything figured out, but when I listened to her sing, I just… I imagined, for a moment, what it would be like to be there. On a stage, singing."

"Do you regret majoring in Engineering?" Jaune inquired.

The question surprised her with its bluntness, but Weiss rolled her eyes, scoffing at the very idea. "Psh, please. Engineering is practical and smart. Why would I ever give it up to sing on a stage?"

She looked at Jaune, and there was something in his blue eyes that she found... odd. Something different. His eyes lacked that childish gleam, but they were still round, soft. It was hard to explain, but it was probably the most adult Jaune had ever acted around Weiss. "That's not what I asked. I mean, I knew you liked singing, but I just..."

"Oh. Yes, I did tell you that, didn't I?" Weiss sighed. She hadn't completely forgotten about her first encounter with Jaune. She expected she would have, but it was the first real conversation she had with a person. That meant something to Weiss, strange as that may sound. She was just a voice in Ruby's head, a symptom of a mental illness, but...

"I looked up to Pyrrha too. She inspired me, just like you, and I guess... When she left, she took the inspiration with her." Jaune shrugged his shoulders, wearing a smile like a trick-or-treater would wear a mask. "But hey, she went on to inspire people like you, so everyone wins."

"You don't win."

He just shrugged, smiling at her like that was supposed to mean something.

"Hey, I got friends, food, and a roof over my head. What else could I ask for?"

Jaune Arc was a terrible liar. Still, Weiss couldn't help but feel an iota of understanding. Growing up, seeing the life Pyrrha was living, Weiss felt... well, it wasn't jealousy, obviously, but it was something. She had no idea that Arc and her would have that connection. That the same person would affect their lives.

 _What's that saying? It's a small world...?_

Jaune seemed to be having similar thoughts. "Crazy to think my girlfriend inspired you."

Weiss didn't say anything in response. Instead she just sighed. "Sorry about the barrage of questions... and if I worded them poorly. I just wanted to know."

"No problem. Now, you ready to watch a movie? Nora got them back because they both take place on or around Hawaii. Her attempt at being subtle, I guess," he chuckled.

"Go on ahead of me. I just need a moment by myself."

Jaune nodded his head, before standing up and walking towards the living room. As soon as he exited the room, Weiss closed her eyes and released control of the body. There was no fanfare, no goodbye, she just left the body vacant and expected Ruby to take her place, Thankfully she did, and the young woman opened her eyes to find herself alone in the kitchen.

 _"Weiss? Are you okay?"_

No one answered her question, and Ruby realized just how little she knew about herself, and, well, herself. Ruby had been listening the whole time, yet she never knew Weiss liked to sing, or that she idolized Pyrrha. Speaking of Pyrrha, how was she supposed to take the news of Jaune's relationship? How was anyone supposed to take it? She should pity Jaune? Admire him?

Why did her stomach feel like it was twisting into a knot...?

"So, what are we going to do about the offer to Hawaii?" Yang asked, hesitantly.

"We need to have a meeting," Blake replied.

"Yaaay... Meetings," the oldest voice muttered.

Ruby just sighed, shaking her head as she stood up and walked into the living room. She put on a smile for everyone, as her thoughts betrayed her. She wished she understood DID more. She wished she understood her alternate personalities more. Most of all though, she wished she never had Dissociative Identity Disorder in the first place.

 **END**

Late... Damn, damn, damn… Sigh. Oh well. Nothing more I can do now, but apologize and say I'll do better. So here I go.

I'm sorry. I'll be better next time.

Anyways, a new chapter! Learned more about Jaune, Weiss, and most importantly, teased the second half of the Book 1. We're going to Hawaii! Like, there's no chance Ruby isn't going to Hawaii. I already planned that out! Expect to see Coco, Fox, Velvet, and a few other characters from the RWBY universe!

As always, one of the hardest things about this story is how to translate certain aspects from canon universe to here. After all, Weiss has no Schnee Dust Company, no abusive father, no Klein, or Winter, or Whitley. I want to make her recognizable, but it's inevitable that her character here would be different than canon.

Weiss wanted to team up with Pyrrha in the canon universe. For the fame, praise, and skill Pyrrha would give her. In this story, Weiss wants to be like Pyrrha, because Pyrrha has a lot of what Weiss wants.

The chance to actually sing on a stage, fame, and most importantly, the freedom to pursue it. Weiss is good at studying from a textbook in both the canon universe, and here, but just because she's good at it doesn't mean she wants that to be her life. Both Weiss' love singing and music, but this Weiss loves it even more because it's a symbol of her desire to be free.

At the end of the day, both Weiss want the same thing. To be free from their family's binds. It's just that one family is abusive, while another is… um… Ruby Rose and a couple of voices in her head.

And Ruby has to deal with the fact that she has DID at all. It's a pain, from what I've learned.

I think a big theme of this story is that there are few bad people. A lot of times, life is just a conflict of interests between mostly good people. Ruby wants to be normal, Weiss and Yang want to be real, Jaune wants to finally get over Pyrrha... Etc, etc.

Always feel like I'm just pointing out the obvious in these Author's Notes... Oh, well.

See ya next time! Love you! Leave a review if you can, and if you want to help support me, check out my Pat-reon page! Request stories, vote for future ones, and more, all for you! See ya next time!

Next Update: October 6th


	8. A Life Unfufilled

**A Life Unfufilled**

It was early in the morning, but the curtains in Ruby's room were all closed, letting only small beams of light to slip inside. Ruby laid on her bed in the dark, her head resting on her pillow. She sighed, closing her eyes.

The atmosphere in Ruby's room was tense. The air felt heavy, and when she breathed it in, the air clung to the inside of her throat as it went down. Her skin felt clammy, and her body felt sluggish. She was still waking up from a dreamless sleep, and she groaned quietly as she stretched her arms up to the ceiling.

As bad as her body felt, her mind felt even more exhausted.

Yesterday, Ruby had talked to Jaune and his friends. That night, they had dropped two bombs on her. The first was that they invited her to come with them to go to Hawaii for a friend's wedding, and the second was that Jaune's ex-girlfriend was Pyrrha Nikos.

The Pyrrha Nikos. A celebrity… She had been the fourth piece of Jaune's group of friends, and now that she was gone and Ruby was getting to know them… She couldn't help but compare herself to the woman.

Did Nora and Ren look down on Ruby? Did Jaune? Did they compare Ruby to Pyrrha? They to, even if they couldn't help it… If even half the things Ruby heard about Pyrrha were true, the red-haired woman was truly amazing…

Ruby sighed, shaking her head slowly on her pillow.

Honestly, Ruby wasn't sure which bomb affected her more, and it wasn't just her. Her alternate personalities couldn't stop thinking about last night. Weiss had wanted to know all about Pyrrha through Jaune, while Yang was brimming with excitement to go to Hawaii. Blake had made her opinion on leaving Vale clear, but the group still agreed to vote on the matter after sleeping.

" _We need to talk," Blake_ announced.

 _Yep,_ Ruby quietly thought with a thin smile. _"About Hawaii, right?"_

" _Yes."_

" _I think we should go,"_ Yang confessed, quickly speaking her mind. _"I mean, this is Hawaii! One of the coolest places in the world! How can we pass up on a chance like this?"_

" _It's a risk. We'll be surrounded by strangers. Crowds. Thousands of people. No privacy. What if someone finds out about us?"_ Blake replied.

" _Come on, Blake! You're making it sound like prison or something! This is Hawaii! We can probably just go off on our own for most of it. Maybe do some shopping with Jaune's friends, but for most of the trip, we can just have fun. Surfing, scuba diving, partying-"_

" _That all sounds more like stuff you find fun,"_ Weiss commented. Ruby didn't disagree, but she kept quiet as Weiss and Yang bickered..

" _Aw, come on, Weiss-cream! You know you want to go to. Maybe you'll even see Pyrrha there! You know, I never knew you were such a big fan of hers..."_

" _I'm not… J-just be quiet, you dolt! Seeing Pyrrha should not be the only reason we go!"_

" _And it isn't! But come on, wouldn't it be cool? The sights, the music, the chance to go somewhere we've never been, one of the most beautiful places in the world! We can't just let this slip by, right?"_

As the three voices in her head argued and debated, Ruby remained quiet. She closed her eyes, her thoughts bubbling inside of her. _It's my life… Shouldn't I be the one to decide?_

There was a bitter taste on her tongue as she let the three argue. It was like they had forgotten about her as she realized how out of control she was for her own life. Ruby did so much for the alts. She lived for them, ate for them, and she gave up control of her body for them.

In return, they took chunks out of her life from her...

Each of the alts had a part of Ruby's life in their hands. They were born representing something in her, some part of her, and it just felt… it felt like there was nothing left for Ruby. Even Jaune, her best friend, someone she had thought could be just hers, wasn't just hers…

Ruby buried her face in her hands, a deep sigh emanating from her mouth. She shook her head, clenching her jaw. _Stop. Just stop it. You're being ridiculous._ Yeah. She was being ridiculous for just wanting to be normal. Silly her...

" _Alright, I think that's enough debating. What's everyone's votes?"_

The alts were rendered silent at Ruby's question. Blake was the first to speak up.

" _Nay."_

" _Aye for going!"_ Yang replied.

Weiss was quiet, and Ruby wasn't sure if she should call out to the personality. Eventually Weiss mumbled quietly. "I think we should go."

Ruby didn't bother casting her vote. Either it would end in a tie, or she'd just agree with the majority. She shrugged her shoulders, and put on a smile for the others. She tried to sound happy, and excited.

Maybe by the time they flew off, she would be.

"Well, looks like that's it. We're going."

* * *

Ruby wished she could say that things went back to normal for a time, but that would be a lie. She still hung out with Jaune, still made jokes and talked to him, but things just didn't feel as good as before.

There was this clinging, overbearing sense of dread that hung over her shoulders. Ruby wore her best smile around Jaune and the others, and If they noticed she was faking it, they didn't ask. They just played along and acted like everything was okay.

Ruby began packing a week before the date. Weiss and Yang helped her pack, while Blake merely insisted some of her books be brought in. Ruby made sure all of the knights had stuff they wanted. Textbooks for Weiss, regular books for Blake, and a list of adrenaline pumping activities for Yang…

It was monotonous, boring, and thankless work, but that's how things went for the next two months.

000

Time flew by for Jaune, moving both incredibly quickly and painfully slow. He went through the motions, laughing with his friends, and working at Hazel's, but he just did his best to play his role well.

He was excited for the wedding, but he dread seeing Pyrrha again. Anxiety plagued his mind as he imagined the worst possible scenarios to play out. Maybe she'd have a boyfriend, or a fiance, or maybe she had changed into one of those obnoxious, caught-on-TV-drunk celebrities…

Maybe she wouldn't show up at all.

Honestly, he wasn't sure which possibility was worst.

The bus the group was on came to a stop, and Jaune awoke from his sleepless nap. He yawned, frowning as Ren looked at him.

"Are we there yet?" the blond muttered, blinking sleep from his eyes.

"Yes. Come on."

Ren and Jaune had sat on one side of the long bus, while Nora and Ruby had sat on the other side. Both halves of the group began to stand up and leave the bus. The driver helped them get their bags from the storage containers while Jaune looked around, taking in the sight of the bustling location.

The airport was busy with life and movement. Vale had probably one of the busiest, most crowded airports in the country. People filtered in and out as cars drove to drop friends and family off for their trip. Everyone had a place to be, it seemed.

"You okay?" Ruby questioned, suddenly standing next to Jaune.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm alright." Jaune smiled at Ruby, and she returned the gesture. "How about you? You okay?"

"I'm alright. A little nervous for flying."

"Oh, yeah. I never asked. You ever flown before?"

Ruby nodded her head. "Yeah, just once. From Patch to Vale," she explained.

"Must be a big change… Coming from a small town to a big city," Jaune commented, and he watched as Ruby's eyes fell to the ground.

"I… had help adjusting," Ruby replied. "Just some friends helping me along the way."

"Oh? Sounds like some good pals."

"Yeah…" The air between the two as quiet, and Jaune could feel the awkward silence slowly drive them apart. He felt like smacking his own forehead. What was wrong with him? He opened his mouth to say something, only for Ruby to speak before him.

"What about you? Ever flown before?"

"Once. Well, twice, I guess. There and back." Jaune chuckled, kicking himself in his head. "Pyrrha and her parents let me come with them to Washington DC."

"Really?" Ruby blinked. "That sounds like fun."

"It was. We went to a bunch of museums, we saw the sights...It was just getting there and back that sucked," he sighed.

"Not a fan of traveling?" She gave a sympathetic smile as Jaune groaned.

"Not a fan of flying…"

"Ooh, Jaune, are you telling the Vomit Boy story? I want to be here for this!" Nora beamed, leaping closer to the two.

"Vomit Boy?" Ruby repeated.

"Nora!"

"Yeah! Jaune got the nickname Vomit Boy last time he went flying. He threw up," Nora grinned, stating the obvious. "A lot. Like, a lot. I didn't see it, but I think a hazmat team had to be called in."

"That is not true!" Jaune groaned. His voice cracked, and Ruby giggled in amusement, smiling at the exasperated blonde.

"Ahem." Ren called out to the three, catching their attention. "If we're done making fun of Jaune-"

"Never," Nora quietly interjected.

"We have a plane to catch. Come on."

* * *

After going through security and an uneventful wait for the plane to open, the group walked onboard and took their seats. Ruby sat at a window while Jaune sat beside her, and Nora sat in the aisle. Ren was trapped between a pair of strangers, and all three gave him a sympathetic smile as a baby began to scream and cry in his mother's arms, right next to Ren

" _This is so exciting!"_ Yang beamed.

" _I have to admit, I'm excited too. I was doing some reading about Honolulu last night, and I think we should definitely try to visit some of the museums,"_ Weiss commented.

" _Totally! And after we can check out the beach!"_

Ruby could hear Blake sighing as the plane shook. The captain began speaking through the intercom as the flight attendants explained what to do in case of an emergency. Ruby, Jaune, and the others pretended to listen, though Weiss reprimanded Ruby for not paying closer attention.

Eventually the plane began to move and Ruby fell deeper into her seat as she watched the plane lift off, soaring off the ground. The young woman left the window open, staring out it with a smile.

"Wow… Jaune, look at this!" She couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. The feeling of being pushed, the strange angle, just the feeling of rising into the sky… It was fun for her.

"N-no. I'm good. I'm good right here," Jaune muttered.

Ruby looked at Jaune, and already she could see the blond was having a hard time. He clutched his stomach, head leaning back against his seat as he took long, slow breaths.

" _Whoa. He doesn't look too good,"_ Yang commented.

"Jaune? You okay?"

"Y-yeah. Just-" He groaned again, and while one hand pressed against his stomach, the other rubbed his head. "Ah… Damn it."

"What's wrong?"

"My head hurts… Really bad," Jaune replied, grinding his teeth together. "Ah… It's like two drills going through my head, and they're meeting in the middle…"

"Did that happen last time with Pyrrha?" Nora asked, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Any smile that was on the girl's features was gone now, replaced with concern.

"I don't think so… It's fine, I'll be-ah!" Jaune took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay, this actually really hurts…" Ruby could see Jaune's fingers digging into his head, and he let out a hoarse sigh as he shook.

Ruby didn't know what to do. She placed one hand on Jaune's shoulder, squeezing it to try and offer him some comfort. Nora tried to signal to Ren for advice as Jaune continued to take long, shaky breaths.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure whatever's hurting you will pass and-"

" _Ruby, ask the man in front of us for some gum,"_ Blake ordered.

"What?" Ruby glanced at Jaune, cursing herself for speaking aloud.

" _Trust me. I saw him chew some when we sat down."_

It wasn't like Ruby had a better idea. It took some effort to lean forward with the plane in motion, but Ruby was able to call out to the man in front of her.

"E-excuse me? Sir?" The portly man in front of her turned his head to look at her. "Could I borrow some gum?" The man took one look at Jaune, before nodding his head with a knowing smile.

"Headaches, huh? Here." The man took out a small box and opened it, revealing several sticks of gum inside. He took one for himself, before handing the rest to Ruby. "Keep it. Hope it helps."

"Oh, thanks!" The man smiled at her as she took the box, before turning back around.

" _Now give some to Jaune. Tell him to chew it."_

"Jaune, here. Chew this," Ruby commanded, handing Jaune a piece of gum. He looked at the offered treat, before flinching from his headache. He took the gum, unwrapping it and pushing it into his mouth. He began to chew as Ruby and Nora watched.

"Okay, now what?" Nora inquired.

Ruby didn't know what to answer with, before both girls noticed Jaune's breathing slowing down. He sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead. "Oh man… that was awful," he groaning out a laugh. "How'd you know that was going to help?"

"Aerosinusitis." Ruby's lips moved, but she wasn't the one talking. Her eyes widened momentarily as Blake explained. "It's caused by inflammation in your sinuses due to a difference in air pressure. Swallowing encourages the eustachian tubes in your head to open up." Blake explained all of this with an almost bored tone.

Jaune and Nora simply stared back at her.

"Chewing gum causes you build up saliva, and you swallow that," Blake added.

"Oh. Cool."

"Alright! Tasty and practical!" Nora took a stick out from the box, and pushed it into her mouth, chewing it. "Mmm. Watermelon."

"Thanks, Ruby. I owe you one," Jaune grinned, relaxing in his seat. "Having a stomachache is bad enough. A stomachache and migraine is just killer…"

Ruby waited for Blake to answer, but she never did. "Oh. No problem." _Blake, how'd you know to do that?"_

" _I did research for us. Just in case you got a headache."_

That made sense. Blake always was trying to look out for Ruby… "Feel better?" she asked, looking at Jaune.

"Much. Thanks, Rubes. You're the best."

Ruby put on a smile for the compliment, but internally the girl sighed.

With that crisis out of the way, the three tried to relax in their seats. Flight attendants walked down the aisle as the trio made small talk.

"So, how long is this flight again?" Nora wondered.

"Were you not listening when Ren told us?" Jaune asked.

"Nope."

"It's an eleven hour flight," Ruby answered, sympathtically smiling as Nora's eye twitched.

"Oh. Can one of you just punch me in the face until I black out? Please?" the ginger-haired girl pouted.

"You could just sleep," Jaune commented.

"I can't! I have too much energy! We're gonna see Coco and Fox again! I'm excited! What if they have British accents now and drive on the wrong side of the road?!"

Jaune and Ruby shared a glance and laughed together as Nora did her best British accent. "Oy, governor! Prep the TARDIS! Fish and chips!" As she continued the bit, Ruby found herself curious about something.

"So, what are they like?" she wondered, looking at her blonde friend.

"Coco and Fox? They're really cool. Coco's a fashion designer."

"And a model! Seriously, I've seen her walking around in her own outfits, and she is damn good!" Nora beamed. "She's even had stuff show up on TV!"

"Wow? Really?" It sounded like Jaune and his friends knew a lot of amazing women. "What does Fox do?"

"He's a personal trainer," Jaune answered.

"He's like Daredevil! But instead of fighting crime, he fights obesity!" Nora grinned.

Ruby blinked at the comment, before connecting the thoughts. "Wait, Fox is blind?"

"Yeah. He's been like that since we met him in high school," Jaune explained. He must have noticed Ruby's wrinkled brow, because he quickly confided in her. "I was really scared when I first met him. I thought for sure I was going to accidentally make fun of him or say something stupid, but Fox is really nice. He'll tell you just to treat him like anyone else, and he'll speak up if he needs something."

She slowly nodded her head. "I've never met a blind person before…" In a way, Fox was like her. Disabled. Something wrong with them. "What's he like?

"Nice. Quiet. Kind of like Ren, actually. He and Coco met during their first year in high school. They were dating by the end of our first year."

"We helped him ask her out," Nora beamed. "Helped him make a banner and everything. He asked her out to prom. It was awesome."

Ruby smiled as she imagined that. "That sounds nice." The memories of her high school years came back to her. Hanging out with Sun. Dancing with Adam. Her fingers squeezed the fabric of her clothes.

"Ruby? You okay?" Jaune asked.

Adam kissed her neck, and he whispered into her ear, asking if she was okay. Ruby swallowed spit down and pulled the corners of her lips.

"Yeah. I'm okay," she replied. "Just thinking."

* * *

The plane eventually landed in Honolulu, and Ruby could see the smiles on Jaune, Nora, and even Ren's faces..

It was night now, a stark contrast to the bright, blue skies of Vale they had left behind. Ruby pressed her face against the window, a rush of eagerness crawling up her spine. She could see the bright lights of the city beyond the airport, and for the first time in a long while, she felt excited to see something new.

Jaune was the first to stand up and he led the group off of the plane, luggage in their hands. The blond was just as eager to get off the plane as he was to see his old friends, apparently. The four thanked the crew of their flight, before walking out.

All of Ruby could feel the change in the air. The weather in Hawaii, even at night, was warm and humid. The young woman pulled her jacket off and pushed it into her luggage as she took in the wet air.

" _Phew. Humid!"_ Yang grinned.

" _Ugh… Well, this is off to a wonderful start,"_ Weiss groaned, shaking as Ruby felt the wet, warm air cling to her face.

Blake didn't say anything, but Ruby imagined the quiet personality wasn't a fan of the heat. Still, Ruby smiled and followed her three friends through the airport. She led them lead her through, and after a couple of minutes of walking, they stepped through an automatic door and were met with a small crowd of people.

The four weren't the only ones leaving the plane. Their fellow passengers walked out with them, greeting those who had been waiting for them. Ruby grinned as she saw people holding signs embrace friends, new and old. Couples kissed, children laughed… it was cute, she admitted.

"Jaune! Nora! Ren!" A voice greeted the trio, and Ruby watched as a one waved, motioning the three over. She had a sign in her hands with black letters saying 'Scrubs' on it. There were two boys next to her as Ruby's group rushed to the waving woman.

"Aloha!" The woman handed the sign to one of the guys next to her, and took a bag from the other. She reached inside and pulled out several of those flower necklaces Ruby had seen in every movie about Hawaii. "Welcome to Honolulu!" she grinned, tossing a necklace of colorful flowers around Jaune's neck.

" _They're called lei,"_ Weiss explained.

"Coco! It's so great to see you again!" Jaune beamed.

"Right back at you, Arc! How're you doing? Still wearing that bad sense of fashion with pride, huh?"

"Heh. It's part of my charm?"

"Yatsu! What's up, big guy? Nora and Beanstalk, together again!"

"Fox."

"Ren."

Everyone was smiling and laughing as they reunited with their old friend. But Ruby didn't join in. She stood back, watching the six reunited with nervous eyes. She glanced at the ground, then the six, before looking up, then at Jaune and Coco hugging each other.

Coco had brunette hair falling down one of her shoulders, and her clothes were loose, yet they accented Coco's slender figure. Her body was like a ballerina's, small and sleek, yet her grinning teeth screamed 'supersonic princess.' Coco also wore several accessories, ranging from bracelets, to necklaces, to even sunglasses and a black beret on her body.

 _Is she wearing sunglasses at night?_ Ruby wondered.

Coco pulled away from Jaune, before looking at Ruby with an arched brow. She pulled her sunglasses off and smiled at Ruby, looking her over with judgemental eyes…

"And you must be Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you! Coco Adel." She smiled and held her hand out to Ruby, and hesitantly the silver-eyed woman reached forward to shake it. "Glad I finally got to meet you face to face. I've wondered about you."

"Oh. Awesome?"

"Come on, let me introduce you to the gang. I hope Jaune and the others haven't scared you off yet with any horror stories about us."

Coco pulled Ruby along, leading the shorter woman to a tall man with dark skin and maroon colored hair. He kept his eyes to the ground as Ruby looked him over. He wore dark shorts and a simple, white shirt. The shirt left his arms exposed, and Ruby blinked as she realized how muscular the man was. His strong fingers were wrapped around long, silver walking stick.

Ruby could hear Yang whistling in her head.

"Ruby, this is Fox, my fiance."

 _Fox. Okay, Ruby, don't mess this up. Just say hello, and move on with the conversation…_ The girl had to suppress an anxious whimper. She was already bad with meeting new people. She hoped she didn't screw up her first run in with a blind person…

"H-hi, I'm Ruby!" Ruby held her hand out to Fox, who lifted his head up and looked away from her. _Crap! Did I mess up already…?_

" _Ruby, he can't see your hand. He's blind,"_ Blake reminded.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Ruby apologized, cringing at her out stupidity. She quickly pulled her hand back, holding it like it was burning and she was afraid of catching someone on fire.

" _He doesn't know what you're apologizing for. He didn't see your hand."_ Having Blake point out her screwups really did not help Ruby feel better...

"Er, I held my hand out, but I forgot, I mean, I'm really sorry, that was dumb of me and-"

"Ruby. It's okay." Fox's voice was slow and deliberate, yet there was a soft edge to it, almost like he had heard this joke before. "It's nice to meet you. Don't worry about walking on eggshells around me," he requested, taking one hand off of his walking stick for Ruby to shake. "Thank you for coming to the wedding. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Oh. Uh, thanks. Thanks for having me…"

"It's no problem. Strangers are just friends you haven't made yet, after all. I assume Jaune's mentioned that saying at some point?" He turned his head to face her, a friendly smile on his face.

"Heh. Yeah…"

"That's to be expected. Well, I hope you and he have a good time in Hawaii. If you need anything from Coco and I, just ask."

"Right! I will."

"And if you're worried about talking to me, don't. Just be yourself, and I'll tell you if you make a mistake. I know you won't mean anything by it." Ruby blinked, and she realized that despite being blind, Fox clearly knew how to read her.

They had just met, but he just seemed to figure her out instantly. Ruby wasn't sure who that spoke more of…

"Right. Thanks."

"Gonna take Ruby to meet Yatsu, babe!" Coco kissed her fiance's cheek, before pulling the embarrassed Ruby along. "Awkward, huh?"

"Heh, y-yeah…"

"It's alright. He's used to it. Like he said, just treat him like you would anyone else, and he'll speak up if something doesn't work." Ruby nodded her head as Coco led her to an absolute giant of a man.

 _Why are all of Jaune's friends so tall?_ She wondered, tilting her head back to gawk at the muscular giant.

The man had short, black hair and equally dark eyes. He wore a green V-neck, and matching pants that stretched down his long legs. He bowed his head, nodding at Ruby with a stoic expression.

"This is Yatsuhashi. Don't worry about the size. He's harmless."

"Um… Hi."

"Hello," he replied, lifting a hand to greet her. Neither said anything, and Ruby felt beads of sweat going down her forehead as Coco's eyes bounced between the two. Yatsuhashi just stared at her, his eyes blankly waiting for her to say something.

So Ruby said the first thing that came to mind. "So, how's the weather up there?"

"Nice. A little hot." He smirked at her greeting. "How's the weather down there?"

"Melting a little, but I'll be fine."

The two smiled at each other, and Ruby felt her worries fade as the man chuckled. "Velvet's getting some sodas to help cool you all down. As for the heat, you'll get used to it."

"I hope so…" Ruby blinked as her conversation was interrupted by Nora's bouncing and shouting.

"Ooh, ooh! Velvet! We're over here! Hi! Over here! It's so good to see-whaaat?!"

Ruby pulled away from Coco and Yatsuhashi to walk towards Nora and Jaune, both of whom were picking their jaws up from the floor. Even Ren seemed shocked, and that was enough to make Ruby wonder if aliens were invading or something.

She followed the three's gaze to find two people walking over. One guy and one lady, and both were carrying bags full of food and drinks.

Velvet was the woman, and she had a wide smile on her face. Her smile was framed in her long, straight brunette locks. She wore a beautiful, hazel colored sundress, with a black, long-sleeved shirt under it. Judging by her grin, she was talking to the man as they walked, sharing some kind of funny story.

Next to her was another tall, muscular guy. This guy was only slightly shorter than Yatsuhashi, with equally beefy muscles. He had dark orange hair, and he wore a grey shirt with black shorts. In contrast to Velvet's smile, he wasn't smiling. It wasn't exactly a scowl, but he certainly seemed less happy than Velvet.

"C-Cardin?! What…? Why are…? Why is he here?!" Jaune stuttered.

"Um…" Ruby glanced at her friends, awaiting an answer that Nora quickly gave.

"Cardin's the jerk who bullied Jaune throughout high school! He even picked on Velvet until Coco threatened to feed him his own teeth." The normally happy woman was seething, frowning as she turned her eyes to the woman that invited them. "Coco! Why?! Did he bribe you for an invitation?!"

"Calm down, Valkyrie," Coco sighed. "He isn't bribing anyone. Trust me, I was just as surprised when Velvet asked if she could bring him as her plus one…"

Ruby blinked in confusion, then she swallowed dread down as she watched Jaune stiffen. She watched as Cardin stopped a few feet away from Jaune and the others. The burly man's eyes widened for a moment, before relaxing. Jaune's hands were squeezed into fists as Ren held Nora by her shoulder.

"Hey, Jaune," Cardin greeted, casually.

"What…? Why are you here?" Jaune growled, stepping forward.

"Ruining dances not enough for you?" Nora snarled. If Jaune was angry, Nora was a step closer to rage. "Gonna try to ruin a wedding?"

Cardin glared at both of them, stepping forward again and again until the distance between him and the others was less than a foot. "I don't have to explain anything to either of you. I was invited to this wedding just like you, and-"

"Wrong. We were invited. You got 'plus-one'd,'" Nora countered.

Cardin looked ready to fire back at her, only for a hand to press against Cardin's chest. He blinked and looked to his right to see Velvet there, holding him back and looking at Jaune and the others.

"Everyone, please, calm down," she pleaded. She looked at Cardin, and Ruby could hear the brunette command the much larger man. "Cardin, back off. Now." And to Ruby's surprise, Cardin obeyed.

He stepped back, his face still contorted into a glare. Nora returned the gesture as Jaune looked at Velvet. The brunette turned to face him, and her hazel eyes shimmered with a quiet plea.

"He's not worth it," Ren whispered to Nora, pulling on her arm. The turquoise-eyed woman huffed, before stepping back with her boyfriend.

"Here are your drinks and stuff," Cardin muttered, holding his hands out to Jaune. The blonde glanced at them, before looking at Cardin. Slowly, Jaune took the bags from the taller man. "You're welcome," mumbled the bigger man.

"Cardin." Velvet glanced at him, her eyes sharpening for a moment. He shrugged in response, stepping back to keep Velvet between him and Jaune. The brunette sighed, before looking at Jaune again. "It's good to see you, Jaune. All of you," she added, smiling at Nora and Ren.

"Yeah, right back at you, Velvet," Jaune replied, his blue stare locking onto Cardin for a moment longer before looking at the brunette.

"Alright, that's enough of that. How about we start heading back to the hotel?" Coco suggested, trying to diffuse the situation. "Yatsu, take Velvet, Cardin, and Fox? I'll take our new guests." The others nodded, and Ruby sighed in relief.

" _So much for an easy vacation,"_ Yang muttered.

Coco led the group to where the cars were parked, and as they walked, Velvet walked by Cardin's side. The two exchanged quiet mutters between one another, before Velvet broke away and took out her phone. She turned around and walked backwards in front of the group, before holding her phone up.

"Smile, everyone!" Ruby didn't have the time to as Velvet snapped a photo of the group. The first of many.

"Hey." Cardin slowed down so he was walking by Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. He glanced between the four, before locking on Nora, the closest of the four. "Need help carrying your stuff?"

Ren raised his brow at the question, but Nora practically hissed at the giant. "I'm fine."

"You sure about that, Valkyrie? You've got a lot of bags on you, and I doubt-"

"I'll break your legs," Nora declared. "I'll do it, and I'll make it look like an accident."

Cardin's eyes widened at the threat, before he tried to save face. He scoffed, pulling away from the four and walking by himself in the rear of the group. No one seemed to notice, save for Velvet. She hid behind her camera, but Ruby noticed the brunette watching the downtrodden bully.

* * *

Coco had apparently rented two cars for the group, and Yatsuhashi led Velvet, Fox, and Cardin into one car as Coco led the rest into another. Jaune could still see Yatsu's car following behind them as the brunette drove them out of the airport's parking lot.

"Alright, spill, Coco. Why is Cardin here?! Is he holding your loved one's as hostages? The fiend!" Nora growled.

"I told you, Velvet invited him."

"He's holding Velvet's loved ones hostage! The fiend!"

"No. I mean, Velvet invited him of her own choice. She didn't want to tell me who it was at first, and I get why, but…" Coco's hands tightened on the wheel, before she sighed.

"So… Do you know why Velvet invited my old, highschool bully to your wedding?" Jaune questioned.

"Nope. And you weren't the only one Cardin picked on, Arc… Don't know why Velvet invited that asshole to my wedding, but every time I ask, she just avoids the question."

"Why not just… not let him in?" Jaune questioned.

"Velvet asked me for a favor, I'm delivering. Velvet's my best friend. She knows what she's doing..." Jaune could practically hear the 'I hope,' in Coco's voice.

"But… Cardin!" Nora huffed.

"Is Cardin that bad?" Ruby wondered.

"He's not that bad," Jaune answered. There was a moment of silence, before the blond man sighed. "He's just bad."

"He beat you up, Jaune! He made you miserable back in high school! Do you remember all those times he stuffed you in your locker?" Nora growled.

"Or those times he picked on Velvet," Coco growled. "Trust me, I'm not happy about him being here anymore than you are, but Velvet wouldn't do something like this without a good reason for it."

"She's just not telling anyone why," Ren stated.

"Yeah. But she's my best friend, and Winchester hasn't done anything yet. Long as he keeps it that way, he can stay..." The brunette sighed, grinding her thumbs against the frame of the wheel. "Anyways, can we talk about something else? Please?"

Jaune considered asking about Pyrrha, but decided against it. If there was any update about her, Coco would have told them by now. So instead Jaune smiled and tried to lighten the mood.

"Excited for your big day?"

Coco grinned at that, practically beaming. She gave Jaune a thankful smile, before answering. "Yep! In less than a week, I'm going to be Coco Alistair!"

Nora seemed to agree with dropping the topic. She cooed, leaning forward in her seat. "Ooh, have you done a bachelorette party yet?"

"Course not. Had to wait for you before we did anything crazy, Nora. You're the best kind of crazy."

"Ha. Hear that, Ren? Best kind of crazy!"

"You certainly are," Ren agreed, a small smile on his face. He then looked at Coco, lifting an eyebrow up inquisitively. "I take it Fox is having a bachelor party as well?"

"Yep, and you two are invited. Try not to party too hard, alright?"

Jaune chuckled, quietly wondering what the bachelor party would be like. If it was anything like the movies, well… It might involve a strip club, and that made him warm just thinking about it.

Another question popped into his mind. He couldn't stop himself from asking it, and by the time he was done, he regretted even asking. "Is Cardin going to the bachelor party too?"

Coco's mood almost immediately deflated. Jaune gave her a silent apology, and she sighed. "Don't know. Gonna have to ask Fox about that."

Jaune nodded his head, a thin frown on his face. He wanted to think about something else, anything else but Cardin Winchester, but his mind was stuck. Someone who made Jaune's life hell for years had just popped back into his life...

The rest of the car ride was in mostly silence.

* * *

Eventually the groups made it to the hotel, and the drivers stopped the cars. Everyone stepped out, and while the two drivers left to go park the cars in a nearby lot, Velvet led the group inside the hotel.

Ruby looked up at the brightly lit, colorful words that marked the entrance. "Kailua Beach Hotel… Wow, this place is huge!"

"One of the best on the island," Velvet beamed. "We have your rooms reserved and ready for you. Nora, and Ren, Cardin will show you the way to your room, Ruby, Jaune, follow me to yours!"

Nora glared at Cardin as he looked at the ginger and her boyfriend. The taller man glared back, but motioned for them to follow him.

Ruby could hear Ren mutter to his girlfriend, and Ruby could hear Nora mutter something about 'broken legs.'

" _Man, they really don't like this guy,"_ Yang commented.

" _That much is clear,"_ Weiss agreed.

Ruby and Jaune followed Velvet into an elevator and the three ascended. They stopped after a few floors and stepped out, walking down the halls of the hotel. The hall looked like it belonged in a fancy, exquisite mansion, with paintings of Hawaii's beautiful landscape on the walls and floral print carpet at their feet.

" _This place is beautiful."_ The hotel's atmosphere had clearly caught Weiss' attention.

"Your room is right here. Number 517," Velvet introduced. She took out a small card from her pocket and held it out to the two. Jaune took it with a nod, before uttering a question.

"Hey, Velvet, can I ask you something?" The brunette smiled, nodding her head. "Coco mentioned you invited Cardin, and I was just wondering, well, you know. Why?"

Velvet's good mood faltered at the question, and Ruby hoped Jaune hadn't hurt the girl's feelings. Even Jaune seemed to regret asking the question, before Velvet sighed and leaned against the door frame.

"I know how this must look. Cardin bullied both of us back in high school. I know how bad it looks… I'm not really in a position to explain everything, but everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

"Not everyone." Ruby's eyes widened and she placed a hand on her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. She hadn't even meant to say anything! Had one of the alts spoke for her? Velvet and Jaune both looked at her, and the dark-haired woman avoided their stares. "S-sorry. It's just… If the guy was as bad as he sounds, why invite him here?"

"Sometimes we need to give people a second chance. Everyone deserves one," Velvet repeated. "Cardin's… He's different now, I think."

Ruby felt a frown pull on the corner of her lips, but she stopped it before it showed.

"He looked like the same guy to me," Jaune quietly commented. He looked at Velvet, and the brunette offered a sympathetic smile.

She lifted her hand and placed it on Jaune's arm, speaking softly. "You have every right to hate him. I'm not asking for you to forgive him." She squeezed Jaune's arm, and Ruby watched Velvet's eyes slowly move back and forth between the two. "I'm just asking you not to start anything. I've made myself very clear with Cardin. If he does anything to hurt anyone, or ruin Coco's wedding, he'll pay for it."

Ruby blinked at that, and she was surprised to see a strange glimmer in Velvet's eyes. It was like Velvet had some kind of power over Cardin. Ruby had no idea what it was, but Velvet seemed confident that she had Cardin on a short leash.

"What kind of dirt do you have on him?" Jaune actually chuckled, a mix of curiosity, confusion, and admiration in his voice.

"Oh, you know. Stuff," Velvet shrugged. "Are you two good?" Ruby glanced at Jaune, watching him nod his head and she did the same. "Great! I'm actually in room 527, so I'm around the corner. Fox and Coco are in 708, and Ren and Nora are in 323. You can just text us if you need anything, or use the hotel phone inside." The pair nodded their heads again, and Velvet's smile returned in full force. "Great! Tomorrow we're all getting together for breakfast. I'll stop by around nine to pick you up, okay?"

"Sounds good."

"It was nice meeting you, Velvet. Have a good night," Ruby smiled, shaking the girl's hand.

"Right back at you, Ruby. Have a good night you two!"

The two waved goodbye to Velvet, before looking at one another. Neither moved to open the door. Ruby was the first to speak.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Jaune stared at Velvet, watching her walk down the hall before vanishing behind a corner. He took a deep breath, muttering just loud enough for Velvet to hear. "You know, I remember Cardin pulling on her hair, and making fun of her family... I even heard rumors he tried something during prom…"

"What do you mean he tried 'something?'"

"I…" Jaune frowned, glancing at the wall. "I heard he tried forcing himself on some girl back then. The teachers looked into it, but nothing ever really came from it. I know some people thought it was true…"

Ruby felt her arm shake, and she gently held it. She felt the alt's disgust at the statement, and it mixed with her own as she asked, "Do you think he did it?"

"I don't know. I mean, I know Cardin was an asshole, but I didn't think he was possible of… that. But I guess he might be if he was drunk enough."

"That's terrible…" Memories of Adam bubbled in her mind. She tried to keep her breathing even.

"Come on. Let's not let him ruin this for us. We can't let him ruin both of our vacations," Jaune declared, putting on a smile.

"Yeah, you're probably right." The two smiled at one another as they opened the door and stepped inside of their home for the next week.

They flicked on the lights and stepped into the small hallway leading to their room. The room was well furnished, with another painting, and even a TV against the wall sitting on a wooden drawer. There was even a balcony leading outside. Ruby saw a bathroom in the corner, as well as a closet to store their things, but she came to a stop as she and Jaune noticed a major flaw with the room.

"Oh."

"Uh…"

There was only one bed. A double, big enough for two people with two white pillows and matching blankets on it. Both stared at the bed in stunned silence.

" _You have got to be kidding me,"_ Yang groaned. _"That is so cliche..."_

"Did you know that there was only going to be one bed?" Ruby slowly asked, looking at Jaune

"N-no! This was not my idea! Look, I'll give Coco a call, and we'll sort this out," he quickly explained. "We probably just got Ren and Nora's room by mistake!" He quickly hit Coco's name on his contact list, and waited for her to answer, even putting her on speaker.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Coco! Hey, Jaune here."

"You okay? Velvet show you and your girlfriend your room yet?"

"Yeah, I think there was a small problem. You see-wait." Jaune blinked, and then Ruby blinked, and then both of them turned red as realization hit them both like a truck. "W-wait, did you say girlfriend?"

"Yeah. You and that Ruby girl. She's cute. Good cat-"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Wait, seriously? Huh. That probably makes the one bed a little awkward..." Both Jaune and Ruby could hear Coco chuckling.

"Yes. It is. Very. Awkward," Jaune groaned. "Ruby and I are just friends. We can't share a bed!"

"Sorry, Jaune. When Ren told me you were bringing a girl named Ruby, I just assumed that she was your new girlfriend. My bad," Coco apologized, though both the pair could hear a bit of amusement in her voice.

"It's okay. Can we trade with someone that has two beds?"

"Sorry, Jaune. The hotel is booked, as far I know. Ren and Nora, and me and Fox all have one bed. Yatus is on his own. Only ones with two beds are Cardin and Coco, and no way I'm making them sleep on the same bed."

"So… you're going to make us sleep on the same bed?"

"Yep. You can try and call the hotel staff for another bed, but there's nothing I can do. Sorry, Jaune. Good luck with your girlfriend!" Coco replied, her tone jovial and relaxed.

"She's not my-" The call ended, and Jaune sighed, his arms falling to his sides.

Ruby glanced at the bed, her cheeks still aglow with a rosy hue. "Doesn't sound like we have much of an option."

"It's okay. I'll sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed. Simple as that."

"Hey, wait a second! I'm not going to force you onto the ground! You take the bed. I'll sleep on the ground."

"I'm not forcing you to sleep on the ground. I'm the guy, so I'll sleep on the floor," Jaune argued.

"Jaune, you really don't have to. I'll sleep on the ground. I don't care if you're a guy or what, you were the one actually invited to this wedding, you should sleep on the fancy bed!"

" _I mean, if he's offering…"_ Yang muttered.

" _Can we please just get some sleep?"_ sighed Weiss.

"Ruby."

"Jaune."

This was probably the closest thing to an argument the two ever had. They almost glared at one another, crossing their arms and standing their ground, even if Ruby was significantly shorter the boy.

"It's okay, really."

"I know it, so you can sleep on the bed and-"

"No, I'll sleep on the ground, you sleep on the bed."

"No, you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the-"

"No, no, no. I-"

"No, I will-"

" _This is getting us nowhere,"_ Blake commented.

Blake was right, Ruby realized. She held up her hands, putting an end to Jaune and her's argument.

"This is getting us nowhere," she repeated. "We need to come up with a compromise…"

Jaune nodded his head, putting a finger to his chin as he pondered what to do. Ruby did the same, and as if the same match of brilliance was lit, both grinned as they came up with the answer.

* * *

"Goodnight, Jaune!" Ruby grinned from her spot on the floor. She laid on a soft blanket, with another pulled over her body and a pillow under her had.

"Goodnight, Ruby," Jaune replied. He stood by the light switch about to turn it off. On the other side of the room was his own makeshift bed on the floor. With a flick, the lights turned off and Jaune crept through the dark to reach his bed.

After a few seconds there was a tiny, "Ow!"

"Sorry!" Jaune apologized. "Did I step on you?"

"No, you just kicked me a little," the woman replied.

"Sorry!"

"It's okay," Ruby chuckled. "I'm fine."

"Really sorry," he repeated, stepping through the dark.

" _This is a bad plan,"_ Weiss commented.

As the alts lamented the loss of sleeping on a soft, comfy bed, Ruby and Jaune laid down and closed their eyes. The seconds ticked by as the three personalities slowly fell to sleep. Ruby took a deep breath as she laid there, trying to get comfortable on her improvised mattress.

She heard a slight shuffle on the other side of the bed, and she realized Jaune was having a hard time sleeping. Both of them tossed and turned for the next few minutes. Ruby kept her eyes shut as she waited for sleep to take her away.

It didn't come.

Eventually Ruby opened her eyes, staring into the dark. She rolled until she was on her back, and she let out a quiet sight. "Jaune?" she whispered into the dark room.

He didn't answer. He probably got to sl-

"Yeah?"

Oh. He was awake. "Can't sleep?" Ruby whispered.

"Nope," he quietly replied. "Guess you can't either, huh?"

"Nope." Neither said anything for a moment, before Jaune sighed.

"Is the floor uncomfortable for you?"

"No, well, yes, but I think I just have a lot on my mind," Ruby replied.

"Yeah… Me too."

"Wanna talk about it…?" She heard Jaune stand up and walk over to the light switch.

"I'm gonna turn the lights on." Ruby turned her head down as the lights came on and she listened to Jaune yawn. Their eyes slowly acclimated to the bright light as they looked at one another.

Both of them were in their pajamas. Simple, soft clothing. Ruby wore a simple black top with white pants, with little heart designs going up and down her legs. Jaune wore a blue shirt with matching shorts.

Jaune walked over to Ruby and sat down next to her. "What's on your mind?" he asked, sitting in front of her.

Ruby sighed and sat up, keeping the blanket draped over her shoulders. She closed her eyes and called out to the alts. She waited for a moment, but not answer came back. No Weiss, Yang, or Blake. Her mind was silent, save for her own thoughts…

"Do you ever feel overwhelmed?" She opened her eyes and stared into Jaune's. His eyes were a bright blue, like the lakes back at Patch. He tilted his head, confused by the question. "I mean, do you feel like nothing is… yours? Like you have to do so much, be all these different things, and there's just no time to be yourself…?"

Ruby sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm probably not making a lot of sense…

"I'll be honest, I don't really understand what you mean." Jaune's hand fell on Ruby's shoulder, and she lifted her head up to look at him. He was closer now… His smile was close as she felt her cheeks turn red. "But I want to. Keep going. I'll listen."

Those simple words pulled a weight off of Ruby's shoulders. "Alright. I'll try." She took a deep breath and straighten her back. Jaune dropped his arm and sat before her patiently.

"I feel like… I don't have anything to call mine. Not like physical things. I mean, experiences." Ruby's fingers twitched, and she found herself rubbing her left arm with her right. She stared at the wall, voicing the thoughts she had hid away.

"There are nights when I hardly remember what I did that day. There are parts of my life that I've just… forgotten. And sometimes it's good to forget." Ruby wasn't sure what she was doing. Would Jaune piece the puzzle together and call her crazy? Insane? Lock her up…?

She glanced at Jaune, but she saw no judgement. No anger or worry. He just listened, with a small smile on his face. Ruby swallowed her fears down, and kept going.

"But there are things I want to remember. There are things I want to do, and I want the memory to stay with me forever."

"Can I ask you something?" Jaune inquired. Ruby nodded her head. "Do you have a hard time remembering things sometimes?" The question made the dark-haired woman shiver. She didn't know how to answer that.

Memories of what her father did to her mom replayed in Ruby's eyes. Memories of what Adam did to her after finding out about the alts… What if it all happened again?

"It's okay," the blond quickly said. "I have a hard time remembering stuff too. Pyrrha and Ren had to tutor me all the time, just so I could graduate high school," he joked.

The corners of Ruby's lips lifted up at the remark. Jaune didn't understand, but he was trying to. She could tell that he wanted to. That was more than Tai gave Summer…

"Do you want to keep going, or do you want my five cents?" he asked, and she motioned for him to go ahead. "Well, I'm no therapist. That's Ren's major, but it sounds to me like you want to live a little. Get out there and have some fun."

He stood up and he held his hand out to her as he grinned. "Ren told me once that 'you can't change your world overnight. You can only take it step by step.' So let's do that." Ruby blinked as Jaune smiled at her. "Let's go out and make some memories."

"W-wait, what? It's the middle of the night!" Yet her hand fell in his, and he pulled her onto her feet.

"Yeah, and neither of us can sleep. So let's go have some fun." Jaune pulled away and walked over to his bags. He went through them, pulling out pants and a jacket.

 _He really means it…_ Ruby called out to the alts again. There was no answer, and Ruby felt a rush in her chest. Like a sugar rush, but less sweet. Fear mixed with want as she looked at her bags. Her lips were smiling even as she told herself what a bad idea this could be.

A night out with just her and her best friend… That sounded like an adventure to her.

 **END**

Today is World Mental Health Day. Fitting!

Don't have a time to talk much about this chapter. Sorry, folks. And sorry for the wait. Got to be better about that. Got to, got to...

Anyways, next chapter is full of Lancaster fluff. Hope you'll like it. And I hope you like this chapter.

See you next time. Love ya.


	9. A Night Under the Moonlight

**A Night Under the Moonlight**

Jaune didn't make it a secret that he didn't have a plan. He was winging it, hoping that he and Ruby could find some kind of adventure to distract them.

"Can't be hard," Jaune commented. "One of the biggest vacation spots in the world. Got to be something cool we can do."

"Yeah, but it's the middle of the night," Ruby observed. "Kind of limits our options…"

The two stood outside the hotel, dressed semi warmly. Despite the late night, the air around them was still rather humid. Nothing like the cold nights of Vale.

Jaune wore a yellow jacket and white jacket with jeans. Ruby wore a simple red tank top and a frilly black skirt, matching her leggings.

"You okay in that?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Patch got pretty cold at night, so I'm pretty tough." She patted her chest, clearly taking pride in herself.

"You look tough. All five feet of you," he teased. Ruby just chuckled at the remark, playfully pushing the taller man.

Jaune reached into his pockets and took out two folded up pieces of paper. "I grabbed these pamphlets from inside. Has to be something we can do at night. Here." Jaune handed a pamphlet to Ruby, before looking at his own.

Ruby took the paper and opened it up. She looked it over, searching for something to do. _Whoa, a zoo open at night?_ Excitement hit Ruby, but she quickly glanced at Jaune as she considered the option. _Man, he's totally going to think that's lame. Or will he? He is a lot like me. Maybe he'll like it._

The young woman waited for a voice to make fun of or reject the idea, but nothing came. _Oh. Right. Everyone's asleep._ "H-hey. How about this?"

She pointed at the entry about night tours of the zoo, and she watched Jaune's face for a reaction. "Zoo tours at night?" A wide grin formed on his face as he nodded his head. "Sounds awesome! Let's go!"

Ruby felt a wave of relief wash over her, before she returned the grin. She should have known better than not trusting her best friend.

* * *

The two walked to the zoo, eager to just enjoy the night. The tropical paradise was beautiful, with dazzling lights and shimmering stars above them. They had the option of taking a cab or a bus, but the zoo was close enough to the hotel that the two decided to simply take the scenic route, walking together

"Alright, if you had to live a year on an island, what one thing would you bring?" Jaune asked.

"Ooh." Plus Jaune was just fun to talk to. Ruby pondered the question intensely, before a grin formed on her face. "I pick a jetpack so I can fly back home."

"Ha, you fool," the blond teased. "You have a jetpack, but no idea how to fly it, and what about fuel? You're trapped."

"What?! Aw, come on, how hard could flying a jetpack be? And for fuel, I'd just… uh…" Ruby glanced towards the cars driving by them, unable to think of an answer to that problem. She pouted, frowning slightly. "Dang it. Okay, what would you bring?"

"Easy. I'd bring Ren." Ruby raised her brow at the answer, snickering a bit.

"So, just you and Ren on an island… alone? Is there something you want to tell me?" She made a joke out of it, but there was a nagging in her head. She almost thought it was one of her alts, but then she remembered that they were asleep. She was normal. Or as close to normal as she could get.

Ruby stared at Jaune, and in the moments between her question and his answer, her mind raced. _Is Jaune gay? No, duh, he's not gay. He had a girlfriend! But bisexual people exists… What if he bi? I mean, what does that matter, it doesn't, I don't care whether or not he is... Ahh! Hurry up and answer!_

After about a moment or two, Jaune finally answered her. "Nora loves Ren like crazy. If Ren was lost on an island, she'd split the ocean in two to find him. Then I'd just head back home with them."

"Oh." Ruby blinked, and she chuckled. "I thought for a second-"

Jaune turned his head in confusion, before his eyes widened. He was blushing, face red. "Oh! N-no. I'm not, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with…"

Ruby snorted and laughed at her friend, placing a hand to her move as she giggled. "You and Ren are pretty close. Got a pretty strong bromance." Now that the question was answered, the dark-haired woman didn't feel so worried. Now she was just snickering, teasing her best friend. "I'm not judging, you two would make a cute couple."

"Oh, ha ha," Jaune pouted. Eventually his frown was replaced with a smile, and he gently elbowed the girl. "I still win that round. You can't take that away from me."

Ruby smiled at the young man, nodding in agreement. They returned to their game of silly questions and silly answers, when something happened that caught Ruby's attention. She heard some laughter, and she looked ahead of the two. The zoo was close now, but between them and it were a trio of clearly drunk men.

The men laughed loudly, their faces red as they shared obscene stories with one another. Ruby couldn't help but feel a shiver go down her back. She stiffened as the three got closer. The two groups were the only ones on the sidewalk, and anxiety bubbled in Ruby's head.

"Man, the tits on that bitch were so good!"

"Fuck, man, I was staring at her ass."

"Gotta eat the booty like groceries!" the third man sang, and all three of the drunks laughed loudly, clapping their hands.

Ruby and Jaune had to walk past the trio to reach the zoo… She glanced at the other side of the street, considering crossing to the other side to avoid the drunks, when Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder.

He pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, and she turned to see him smiling at her. "Pretend I just said something really funny," he whispered, his smile warming her cheeks.

"Huh? Oh!" Ruby laughed. It was awkward, and perhaps a bit too loud, but Jaune joined her and she looked slightly less crazy. The three men walked past the couple with only a curious glance, before they went their separate ways.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Jaune freed Ruby. Both were blushing profusely as the blond nervously chuckled. "Sorry about that. I've just seen enough drunken assholes in my life. They usually don't bother girls if they think they're already taken… Um, again. Really sorry. Hope I wasn't overstepping or anything..."

"No, it's okay! I appreciate it," Ruby replied quickly. "I shouldn't have gotten so scared."

"Hey, it's okay. This one time when Pyrrha and I were dating, some guy kept trying to make a move on her at a bar. Some people are just assholes when drunk."

The woman nodded her head, before pondering the memory. "Did he back off after he realized you two were dating?" Ruby inquired.

"Well, not exactly," the blond replied, scratching his cheek. "He called me a bitch and decked me. After that, Pyrrha flipped him and threw him to the ground, before we left together."

"No way! You got punched?" Ruby gasped.

"Yep," he laughed. "Took it like a champ, apparently. I only cried for twenty minutes."

Ruby couldn't help but laugh a bit, but judging by Jaune's grin, he was hoping for the response. "Pretty cool that Pyrrha was able to flip him like that," she commented.

"Yeah, Pyrrha's crazy good in a fight. She has a black belt in karate."

"Whoa… My dad gave me some self defense classes, but only a few..." Ruby frowned as she recalled some memories of her father. She regretted it almost instantly. Some of the memories were nice, but most of them were bitter, and they had only gotten worse with time.

"Ruby? You okay?"

She had been in high school. Dad wanted to teach her how to protect herself, and she obeyed, because she couldn't find a good reason not to. She didn't like being with her father, not since mom left, but…

The young woman's right hand touched her left wrist, and she swallowed down the memories. She stared at the ground as Jaune's voice called out to her.

"Ruby." She looked at him, and she saw how concerned he looked. "You okay?" He didn't have to say anything. He knew something was wrong, and he knew her relationship with her dad was...estranged. It wasn't hard adding two and two.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Just… remembering some stuff."

Jaune nodded understandingly, before his hand gently touched hers. Her eyes widened as he pointed ahead of them. "Well, let's make some good memories! Come on! Cute animals await us!" he cheered, pointing at the zoo's entrance.

Ruby smiled at her friend. He always wanted to make her happy. Always wanted her to feel safe. The fact that they were out in the middle of the night was proof enough of that. Ruby nodded her head and the two walked with Jaune, towards the entrance.

The entrance was a large series of booths with a metal gate between them. Most of the booths were closed due to the hour, but one had a light coming from inside of it. An older man smiled at the two, waving at them, wearing a bright blue shirt with the words 'Honolulu Zoo' on it in green, bold letters.

"Coming in, you two?" he asked.

"Yep. Two adults." Jaune reached for his wallet, only to realize Ruby already had hers out. She handed the worker the money, and took the tickets with a smile. "Hey-"

"Please. Let me. You're the one going out of your way to help me."

"Alright," Jaune replied with an understanding, if disappointed smile. "But I'll pay for snacks later, okay?"

"Deal." Ruby walked ahead with the tickets in her hand, and Jaune was about to follow when the man in the booth spoke up.

"Heh. You two are cute together," the worker commented. "Make sure you treat her right, son. She's a keeper." Jaune raised his brow in confusion, before realization hit him like a bat.

"Oh! Wait, she's-"

"Come on, Jaune!"

Jaune's cheek was a rosy hue as he looked at Ruby, and then back to the worker. The old man smiled, motioning him to move along. After a quiet, mental sigh, Jaune chased after Ruby and the two entered the zoo.

"I grabbed a map. Come on. There are flamingos by the entrance!" Ruby grinned, and her fingers slipped between Jaune's. She pulled him along as the blond blushed.

 _What are you doing blushing? Get a grip, man! She's just a girl!_ Jaune glanced at Ruby's face. Her bright, silver eyes that shined with joy. Her wide, toothy grin like a child on Christmas morning. Her gorgeous, silky hair hair that framed her face perfectly… _No. You are not doing this. Just… focus on having fun. Stop thinking about Ruby!_

* * *

Unfortunately for Jaune, that proved to be impossible. To put it simply, Ruby was a lot of fun to hang out with. She was infectious, really. When she was happy, so was he. When she was laughing, he couldn't help but join in. It was just something about her. Childishness, but in the best possible way. A child's sense of wonder…

They ran across the zoo together, pointing out animals whenever they'd see them. True, most animals were asleep by now due to the hour it was, but there was a very nice benefit. The place was almost entirely empty. There was the occasional family, couple, or zoo employee, but for the most part, the place was open for them to just enjoy.

In a lot of ways, it was like a walk in a park, just with the occasional animal exhibit.

"Look!" Ruby pulled Jaune after her, leading the blond to a metal fence. The two looked into the exhibit, and they saw the dim lights illuminating a komodo dragon. The long, lumbering lizard slowly walked by them, clearly not caring for the two humans. "Whoa… A komodo dragon… I used to want to ride them as a kid."

"You could probably still fit," Jaune commented, lightly nudging the girl. She pretended to be angry, but the two quickly chuckled at the joke.

"Probably. I'd rule a kingdom of them, with myself as a queen. You can be my royal adviser."

"I promise to serve you loyalty, until my inevitable betrayal where I disassemble the Senate and destroy the Jedi Order."

The two snickered at the joke again, and Jaune was reminded of just how much of a dork he was. He always was one, but Ruby felt like the first girl who really got it. Ren and Nora played along, Nora more than Ren, and Pyrrha tried to keep up with pop culture like Jaune did, but Ruby was just… a dork. Like him.

Just a cooler, better looking version of him. Who was a girl. A pretty gi-

"I used to come to zoos all the time with my family," Jaune quickly declared, throwing off his own train of thought. "The Vale Zoo is awesome, but they don't have nightly tours like this."

Ruby nodded in agreement, before pausing. She had a hint of embarrassment in her voice as Jaune looked at her. "I've never been," she confessed. "I've lived in Vale for a while, but I hardly left my apartment…" _Until I met you…_

"Something to do when we're back home. My family always used to have a good time there." There wasn't a hint of judgement in his voice, and that relieved the girl. Her smile grew, before a thought piqued her curiosity.

"You know, I don't know a lot about your family. What're they like?"

"My family?" Jaune's eyes widened slightly, before he turned his head back to the komodo dragon. It stared back at him, as if awaiting an answer to Ruby's question. "Well, I have a ton of sisters. I'm the only boy, actually."

"How many is a 'ton?'"

"Seven sisters. Three younger, four older."

"Seven sisters?!" Ruby gasped, jaw falling to the ground. She could hardly imagine how rough that must have been growing up. She felt just having Yang was crazy enough. Granted, Jaune had real sisters and Ruby had… a voice in her head.

"Yeah. Poor mom," Jaune joked, hanging his head as he leaned onto the metal fence in front of them. "It wasn't easy on either of my parents, but we all got by."

"Seven sisters… And you were the only boy?"

"Yep. You can imagine how fun that was. I'd wake up with braids in my hair, and some of my sisters left Barbie dolls everywhere. Stepped on a lego once."

Ruby giggled at the joke, and she found herself inching closer. She just wanted to hear him better, even though the night was quiet and still. "Sounds like a pain."

"It was, but it wasn't even the worst thing that happened."

Her eyes widened, and she could see the instant regret in Jaune's wide eyes. "Okay, you have to tell me. You can't leave me hanging in suspense! What was the worst thing they did?"

"Murder." Ruby froze, and for a moment, she actually believed him with wide, shocked eyes. He chuckled at her face, and she pouted, gently pushing him. "Nah… Let's just say there are way too many pictures of little me in a dress."

The dark-haired woman snorted, before she began to giggle, and it only grew louder and more hysterical as Jaune waited for her to finish. "Oh, man… I hope I can get them to send me a picture!"

"Expecting me to introduce you to my parents? Going pretty fast, Rubes." Jaune kicked himself at the joke. It came out wrong. It sounded like they were dating, and judging by Ruby's cheeks, she thought the same thing. "Er, cause I'm...not? Going to do that… Introduce you to my parents, I mean."

The two looked away from one another, and Jaune continued to mentally kick himself. _Stupid! What the heck was that? Way to make things awkward…_ Jaune had no idea how to recover from such a stupid statement, and he swore he heard the dragon in front of them laughing at him.

Jaune considered how to un-awkward the air, before Ruby spoke up. "Hey, Jaune?" He looked at her, curious. "Thanks for tonight." She smiled at him, and Jaune couldn't fight the warmth that was consuming his ears and cheeks.

Ruby was really cute when she smiled. Her eyes, her lips, her...everything. It was like there was this bright, shiny aura around him that just made Jaune grin along with her. "No problem," he replied. "I hope you're having fun."

She nodded her head in response, and the two let the awkward joke fade away. "I haven't had a night like this in a long time," she confessed. Her eyes stared into his, and Jaune continued to blush under the intense stare. She probably didn't mean it, but he still blushed nonetheless. "You…" He saw her bite her lower lip, before she pointed a finger towards a small shop.

"Y-you want to go buy souvenirs with me?"

Jaune wasn't an idiot. It sounded like she was covering up what she actually wanted to say, but he didn't argue. He just accepted the topic change, and nodded his head. "Sure. Let's check it out."

* * *

The two arrived at a small souvenir shop and looked around it together. Really, it was just a small stand with a couple of metal racks beside it, but it still had a couple of things they could buy to remember this night.

As Jaune looked over some fridge magnets, Ruby was looking through a small array of stuffed animals. There were a lot of adorable options, ranging from koala bears to lesser, red pandas, to classic bears and dogs, but one item stood out from the rest.

A small, black bird. A crow. An odd choice for a stuffed animal, but one that struck a chord with the young woman. She used to own one just like it, but that was a long time ago. She couldn't remember what she had done with it at first, before the memory stabbed at her heart.

The present had been a gift from her parents. Mom, dad, and herself had gone to a festival together. Ruby's dad had tried to win a prize for the girls, but all he could win was a single, small stuffed animal. He had been kind enough to let Ruby pick, and she chose her childhood pet crow…

Then dad threw mom to an insane asylum, and Ruby threw the crow away. Agw spent the next few days telling her father she hated him, but it didn't change anything… Mom was gone, and Ruby's bond with her father quickly followed.

"Ruby?" The silver-eyed woman blinked, and she turned to look at a concerned Jaune staring at her. "You okay? You were spacing out pretty bad."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Um… Stuffed animals?" She gestured to the small crow in her hand, smiling sheepishly. She put on her best poker face for Jaune, but she never was very good at poker.

"Did you want to get him? He's cute. Plus it'll make a cool souvenir for tonight."

"Nah," she replied. She placed the crow back, shaking her head."Kind of too old for stuffed animals."

"Nora still has stuffed animals from when she was a kid. I think it's fine if you buy one." Ruby's silver eyes bounced between the small bird and Jaune. Bright blue eyes, and black buttons gazed at her, but she shook her head.

"No, it's okay," Ruby uttered. "You find anything you like?"

Jaune hesitated for about half a second, before he smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Just got a fridge magnet."

Ruby nodded her head. "Cool. Shall we?" she motioned to the cashier, and Jaune motioned her to lead the way. She did, and the two approached the yawning worker.

"Hey, sorry," she apologized, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Will that be it?"

"Yep. One fridge magnet, and one stuffed animal," Jaune answered.

"Wait, what?" Ruby blinked, before looking at her blond friend. The young man grinned at her, before he handed the woman the money. Ruby looked down at Jaune's hands, and she saw exactly what he had purchased. A small fridge magnet, plus the same crow stuffed animal she had held in her hand. "Jaune-"

"It's okay. If you don't want him, I'm happy to give him a home," the blond countered. He took his change and the bag the worker offered him, placing both items inside. Ruby stared as the blond walked away from her, a proud smile on his face.

"Your boyfriend seems really nice," the cashier commented. "Wish I had someone like that," she muttered, before yawning again. "Have a nice night, ma'am."

The woman's words made Ruby blush, and she shook her head vehemently. "He's not-we're…." The woman sighed, before quickly chasing after her friend. "Jaune!"

"Yeah?" He turned his head to look at her, a coy grin on his face.

She knew arguing with him was pointless, but she still had to know… "Why'd you do that?"

"Same reason I helped you when we first met. You looked sad, and I wanted to make you happy. Besides, do I need a reason to help my best friend?"

Ruby blinked, and she felt her cheeks burn. "I'm your best friend? What about Ren? Or Nora? You've known them way longer than I have."

The two were walking side by side now. Not to anywhere in particular, just… walking. Ruby saw Jaune's eyes widen, and for a moment, she wondered if he was taking the statement back. She steeled herself for that disappointment, before Jaune confessed his feelings.

"Honestly? I think you're my best friend. Don't get me wrong. Ren and Nora are amazing, and I love them, but when I'm hanging out with you, things just click. I know we've only known each other for a few months, but I considered you just as important as them. Besides, you're just fun to be with…"

Jaune stopped. He rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "I'm making things awkward again, aren't I? I'm sorry, I'm…"

"Socially awkward." Ruby finished for him. She stood across from him. The two were facing each other, both blushing, both smiling. "It's okay. So am I." She rubbed one arm with the other, her feet fidgeting. "You really like hanging out with me?"

"Yeah. You're funny, and cool, and smart, and…" Jaune stared at his sneakers, and he took in a long, deep breath of the cold air. "Boy, I'm bad at talking."

"I mean, I like compliments," she joked. Her voice cracked, and she wanted to kick herself. She sounded like a child when she was embarrassed. "Hey, Jaune?" He looked at her. "You're my best friend too."

He grinned proudly at that, and she held her hand out to him. He got the message, handing her the small, black crow. The thing's button eyes shimmered in the light of the zoo, and it almost smiled at Ruby.

"I had one just like these when I was a kid," she admitted. "I loved it."

"Sounds cute."

"It was," she replied. She glanced at Jaune, and thought brewed in her mind. _Should… Should I tell him? I haven't told anyone since Adam. But if we're best friends, then maybe I should…_ Her thumb gently stroked the bird's head. _He's so nice to me… Does he like me?_ She gulped.

Her thoughts went to Adam, and she hated herself for comparing the two. _He's nice…_ So was Adam. _He cares about me!_ So did Adam. _I like him…_ You liked Adam.

Maybe Ruby wasn't so normal. Even when the alts were asleep, she argued with herself…

She put the argument on pause, her shoulders falling. Ruby was sick of arguing herself. She just wanted to enjoy the night with her best friend. Heh. That made her grin…

* * *

Eventually, the two left the zoo, with the stuffed animal safely in a bag hanging on Jaune's arm. The couple talked about heading back to the hotel, but both agreed that neither of them were ready to call it a night. Instead, Ruby suggested they just walk around the hotel area. They'd be close enough to go back when they were tired, with plenty of options to just enjoy themselves.

Jaune agreed, and the two walked on a brightly lit sidewalk. They were in the metropolis area now, free to enjoy the city. There were shops all around them, ranging from closed restaurants to bars open late at night.

"Man, this place is beautiful," Jaune commented.

"Mmhm," she agreed with a nod. "The sights, the sounds… You think we're gonna get to go to a luau?"

"We have to! Coco and Fox couldn't have planned a trip to Hawaii without including one luau!"

"Ooh, what if there's a fire dancer?" Ruby imagined a half naked man with a stick in his hands, a fire burning on either side of it, and it made her grin. Jaune chuckled at the idea, and the two continued to talk.

They talked about roasted pig, and pineapple (still disgusting on a pizza, Ruby argued), and all sorts of stuff they might enjoy on this tropical vacation. As they talked about nothing of importance, Ruby found herself relaxing once more.

Her life was a rollercoaster, she admitted. Full of ups and downs. Her 'condition' didn't exactly make things easier on her. But Jaune made her feel… normal. Better than normal. Good. She couldn't help but feel a slight warmth on her face as the two talked.

He was smiling at her. He looked nice… By which she meant, he looked like a nice guy! Not… Well, he did look alright. Good. Nice hair, tall, pretty eyes… Ruby's face was getting warmer. Ah…!

 _Why don't you ask him out?_ She asked herself. Well, the answer to that was obvious. Ruby was terrified. Even if she wasn't a socially awkward mess, her mind continued to bring up her last relationship.

Things with Adam had started off well. Great, even. He was there when Ruby lost her mother, and she actually thought the man cared about her. Maybe in his own way, he did. Ruby wasn't sure if that made it better or not.

Adam made her feel like dirt. She remembered feeling like his toy. His to do with… Suddenly his kind words carried an edge to them. Like every compliment was said with a knife to her neck.

But Jaune wasn't like that, she reminded herself. So why couldn't she muster up the strength to do anything?

She groaned at her own frustration, a sound that Jaune caught. "Ruby? You okay?"

The dark-haired woman blinked, and she opened her mouth to answer, only for another sound to catch their attention.

There were four people walking towards them, each of them fairly young, probably in their final years of highschool. They walked together, laughing and talking in a language that neither Ruby or Jaune understood. The group came to a stop when one of them pointed at Jaune and Ruby

Remembering Jaune's earlier advice, Ruby grabbed onto his arm, pressing her body against his. It did nothing to stop the group as the four teens began walking towards Jaune and Ruby, scowls on their faces.

Jaune opened his mouth to say something, when one of the teenagers suddenly shoved him, nearly knocking him over. Ruby's eyes widened as the young boy began yelling at the two of them.

Ruby couldn't understand what was being said to them, but a few words crossed the language barrier.

"-fucking haole!" He shoved Jaune again as the other teens started screaming along with him.

Any attempt at defusing the situation just seemed to make the group angrier. Jaune held up his hands, before he was suddenly knocked down. Ruby's eyes widened as she saw one of the outraged teens punch Jaune's stomach. The blond groaned in pain as he crumpled down onto the ground, resting on his knee. Seeing her friend hurt set something off in Ruby, and she pushed herself between the angry teens and her friend.

"Enough!" Ruby glared at the kids, and when one of them tried to push her, Ruby smacked their hands away. She stepped forward, challenging each of the teens. Despite her short stature, Ruby stood her ground and glared at the aggressors. "Stay away from us! I don't care what your problem is, if you try and touch us again, I will defend myself."

The four teens were quiet, before a girl standing in the back began to laugh. Ruby looked at her, and she noticed how red her face was. How red all of their faces were. Were these kids drinking?

"Look at this fuckin' haole. Think she's tough. Kick her ass," she snickered, pushing one of the boys forward.

The guy was chubby, easily bigger than Ruby, and even a couple of inches taller than Jaune. Ruby's friend stood up, and he held up his hand.

"H-hey, we don't have to do thi-"

"Shut up, haole!" The big man reached for Ruby, and she did what her father taught her to do.

Her father taught her that it wasn't about your weight, it was about leverage. How you use your weight. Ruby caught the man's hand, surprising him, before she slid her foot forward and kicked his leg. He cried out in pain, before Ruby slammed her shoulder into his chest and released him. The man hit the ground.

Ruby had done all of this quickly and smoothly. She kept her hands up and glared at the four, trying to intimidate them. They seemed surprised, before the same girl from before glared at Ruby.

"Haole bitch!" She kept herself behind one of her friends, still clearly intimidated, when suddenly a voice shouted out at the six.

"Hey! Get the hell out of here before I call the cops!" A man was running towards them, motioning for the four to leave. They obeyed, the threat of cops clearly scaring them even more than Ruby.

Ruby felt her shoulders fall as she sighed in relief, and she and Jaune looked at the stranger who helped them.

"Thank you," the woman smiled.

"Yeah, thanks."

"No problem. Sorry about that… You two okay?"

"I'm alright," Ruby replied.

"Just got the wind knocked out of me," Jaune replied.

The man nodded his head, before looking around. "If you two want, you can come into my bar for a bit. Get a moment to rest. I was just closing up, but I don't have a problem letting you two sit inside."

Ruby and Jaune looked at each other. Jaune was holding his stomach, but as soon as he realized his friend's eyes were on him, he tried to hide the pain he was in.

"We're okay," Jaune quickly muttered, but Ruby shook her head.

"Actually, I'd like some water. If that's okay?" Her silver eyes bounced between the two men, and Jaune's face shifted slightly, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to thank her or apologize to her.

"Come on. My place is right here," the man stated, motioning towards a nearby bar. "I'm Monty, by the way."

"Ruby."

"Jaune."

* * *

Ruby and Jaune entered the bar, and sat by the counter as Monty walked around to the other side. The bar was a nice place, more rustic and old fashion than modern. Wooden floors and walls, with dim lights hanging above them. Old, classical played from somewhere as Monty smiled at them.

"You two want anything to drink?"

"I think we're okay," Ruby replied.

Monty nodded his head, before he walked over to a cashier. He quietly went through it, tapping on buttons as Ruby looked at his friend.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just…" Jaune shook his head. "Where'd you learn those moves?"

"Dad taught me self defense."

"You mentioned. But I didn't think… I mean, that was crazy," the young man commented. "You kicked that guy's butt." For a moment, Ruby worried that Jaune was intimidated by her skill, but Jaune's grin eased her concerns. "It was awesome."

Ruby blushed, her cheeks once again burning. "Ah, well… T-thanks," she muttered. The two stared at one another, silver eyes meeting sapphire ones as neither said anything. Ruby felt her blush spreading to her ears, and she thought she saw something similar on Jaune's face…

"Hey," Monty walked back to the two, and the two quickly looked away from each other. "Really sorry about that again. Some locales don't really like tourists."

"What was that word they kept yelling at us…?" Ruby inquired. "Ha...Haloe?"

"Haole. It's a slur to tourists, or people who look like they're from out of state." The two looked Monty over. He was a man of Japanese descent, with spiky black hair and matching pants and a button-up shirt with a collar popped up around his neck.

The bartender sighed, shaking his head. "Really sorry. Not everyone here is like that."

"We understand. Stupid people exists all over the world," Jaune nodded. "Thanks for stepping in."

"Recognized those kids. Too young to be drinking, but they always seem to find someone dumb enough to give it to them," Monty frowned. He looked at the two and put on a friendly face. "Enough about them. So, what are you two doing in Hawaii? Just sight-seeing?"

"Oh, we're here for a wedding," Jaune answered, and Monty's eyes widened for a moment, before he grinned.

"You're getting married? Well, congrats," he beamed. "We have a couple's special. I'd be happy to make mix it for you."

Ruby and Jaune didn't say anything. They just stared at the bartender as his words slowly dawned on them. Their faces were quickly turning crimson as Monty continued to talk, oblivious of their shame. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing and just wanted to tease the two.

"The lovers' special is a special cocktail. Has a natural aphrodisiac in it."

"A-aphrodisiac?" Ruby repeated, her face consumed by embarrassment.

"N-no! We're just friends. Ruby and I are just friends," Jaune quickly corrected, holding his hands up.

"Oh." Monty blinked, before glancing down at his hands, before back to them. "You still want the drink?"

Ruby buried her face in her hands and groaned loudly. Jaune did the same, shaking his head. Monty just chuckled, clearly amused by his own antics.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Can't blame me for thinking something was going on between you two. You have a nice chemistry, besides, you're a young couple out in the middle of the night. Thought you were going to go see the fireworks or something?"

"Fireworks?" Ruby blinked.

"Yeah. You can see them from Waikiki Beach," Monty explained. "It's beautiful, and pretty close by. I thought you were headed there…"

"Us being out in the middle of the night was kind of spur of the moment," Jaune confessed.

"Jaune, we should go see them!" Ruby beamed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I haven't seen fireworks in forever!"

"Sure, why not?" The blond replied, seeing little reason to argue.

"If you're gonna go see them, I suggest checking out Matsumoto's Shave Ice nearby. It's really great, and right by the beach. They're probably still open."

"Sounds like a plan to me. What do you think?" Jaune inquired, and Ruby agreed with a quick nod.

"Yeah, let's try it. Thanks, Monty."

The bartender smiled at the two, nodding his head with a friendly smile on his face. "Happy to help."

* * *

Ruby and Jaune soon left the humble bar and left for the beach. It wasn't a long walk, and soon they found the long, wide sandy fields of Waikiki Beach. The beach was dark, but the lights from the city were enough to illuminate the shore. The waves gently crashed on the sandy slopes, as other people sat on the beach. They were few and sparse apart, but there.

"There's the place." Ruby pointed at the large vendor, and Jaune saw the large, round sign above the entrance.

' _Matsumoto's Shave Ice.'_ He and Ruby entered the shop and the man working the counter waved at them with a smile.

"Hey, order whenever you're ready."

The two nodded, before Jaune leaned down to Ruby. "What are you gonna get?"

"Strawberry flavor," she replied, her voice brimming with glee. "You?"

"Hm… Watermelon, I think."

"You guys want that with ice cream?" the worker questioned.

"Ice cream…?" Jaune could see Ruby's jaw hitting the ground as she gasped. "Yes, please!"

Jaune handed the man some cash, and he quickly started working on their orders. The young man couldn't take his eyes off of Ruby. He loved watching her staring at the sweet, fruit-flavored treat being put together. Her shimmering, silver eyes and hungry mouth reflected off of the glass as he watched her.

"Here you two, go. Have a good night," the worker smiled, handing the two the large, plastic cups.

"Thanks," Ruby grinned, taking both.

Jaune hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the last time he saw Lilo and Stitch. What was the word he was looking for? "Uh… M-mahalo?" The man lifted his brow, confused for a moment, before he chuckled.

"No problem, cuz. Have a good night." The blond smiled with a warm blush on his cheeks, walking by Ruby as they exited out of the store together.

"That meant 'thank you,' right?" she asked.

"Hope so. I probably butchered the language, but I wanted to try."

"I think that's nice of you," the silver-eyed girl commented, before handing him his shaved ice. "Here, have yours and tell me what you think?"

Jaune nodded his head, before taking the spoon lodged into his dessert and taking a bite of it. The sweet, watermelon taste earned a quiet, satisfied moan. "Mine's great. Yours?"

Ruby took a bite of her own shaved ice, crunching it under her teeth. She dropped her spoon into her cup as she beamed. "Delicious!" She took another bite, before looking at her golden-haired friend. "Can I try some of yours?"

"Sure." Jaune wasn't sure what he was thinking. He should have just offered the large cup of shaved ice to Ruby, but he just… wasn't thinking, he guessed. Instead of doing the sensible thing, he stuck his spoon into the scarlet ice, got a nice spoonful, before holding it out to Ruby.

 _Okay, it's fine. She'll take the spoon and just-_

The short woman blinked, before leaning forward and biting down on the end of Jaune's spoon. She then pulled back, wiping the small, plastic spoon clean. Jaune blinked, feeling that familiar warmth on his face as she grinned.

"Ooh, that is good."

"Yeah, I thought so too…" Jaune cleared his throat, before pointing to the beach. "Let's go sit down! T-the fireworks are probably gonna start soon."

"Oh, sure!"

* * *

Ruby was practically screaming in her mind as she followed by Jaune. She was thankful the older man couldn't see her rosy face.

 _What was that?! Why did you do that?! Why didn't you just take the spoon? Why did you make him feed you?! I mean, this isn't all my fault. He offered it to me! Ah! I'm so bad at this!_

She was soon engraved with kicking herself down, Ruby didn't realize when Jaune had stopped walking. Her body walked into his back as he came to a stop, and he turned to face her.

"Sorry. Here good?"

"Oh, yeah!" she quickly answered, nodding her head.

The two sat down on the dark, sandy beach of Waikiki. The waves of the ocean crashed nearby as they took in their surroundings. On one side, a beautiful, shimmering metropolis, and on the other, an endless, vash ocean. Everything around them just felt so perfectly gorgeous and spectacular, and the two just quietly enjoyed it all for a moment.

Ruby crushed another mouthful of flavored ice as a cold breeze blew over the beach. The young woman shivered, fidgeting until her shoulder bumped against Jaune's. "Cold."

"You… want my jacket or anything?" he asked, his eyes on his shaved ice.

The silver-eyed woman quickly shook her head, a familiar warmth warming her body now. "N-no, I'm good. Thanks, though." He nodded in reply as Ruby bumped her shoulder against Jaune's again. Their arms were touching now…

 _This is nice,_ she told herself. It was peaceful. Quiet, in more ways than one. She glanced at Jaune, and contentment pulled on the corners of her lips, making her smile. Even when that silence was broke by the high-pitched whirr of a firework flying into the sky and exploding, she felt better than she had in a long time…

"Whoa!" Ruby's eyes reflected the golden and red sparkles of the firework, followed by two more rockets shooting into the sky.

"Perfect timing," Jaune observed, watching both rockets explode high above the ground.

Ruby and Jaune 'oohed' and 'awwed' together, watching the colorful explosions burst in the air, before descending to the ground. Their eyes reflected the rainbow of colors and the fading sparkles each one left behind.

The younger of the two was so distracted by the show that when she reached for her spoon, she hit it to hard, knocking it out of the cup and onto the sand.

"Nooooo!" Ruby screamed, dramatically, watching her precious spoon hit the ground. It was too late now. Sand clung to the plastic utensil, and she mourned the loss of a great friend. Jaune watched her pouting face, unable to stop himself from admiring how cute she looked. "Dang it," she sighed, hanging her head low.

"Here." Jaune stabbed his spoon into her shaved ice, smiling at her. "We can share."

She glanced at the small, blue spoon, before looking at her friend. He motioned for her to go ahead, and she grinned. It didn't take long for Ruby to accept the gift, digging in and enjoying themselves. She gave a muffled thanks through a mouthful of flavored ice.

"Ah, brain freeze!" The girl groaned, handing him back the spoon. The older man chuckled, eating some of his own shaved ice as she suffered.

The two continued to watch the fireworks. Colors shot into the air, filling the night sky as they sat together. The dull booms and pops filled their ears along with the gentle crashing of the nearby waves.

 _This is… nice,_ Ruby thought, taking a bite of Jaune's shaved ice. By now, her own cup laid empty by her crossed legs, and Jaune was happy to share his with her. Her lips wrapped around the tip of the spoon as she blushed. _Huh. Like an indirect kiss… Ah, what am I thinking?!_

She quickly pushed the spoon back into the ice and sighed. _A guy and a girl… Sharing food while watching fireworks in a tropical paradise…_ Ruby glanced around the beach, frowning as she watched a man and woman kissing one another.

They looked so happy together, holding each other like that…

Then she looked at her best friend, and she found herself scooting closer. _He's just being nice,_ Ruby told herself. _He probably would have done this for any girl._ But he didn't do this for any girl. He was here with her, sharing food with her, watching fireworks with her…

 _We're so alike…_ Both of them were products of failed relationships. Both of them were awkward, but needy. Both of them were heavy with baggage. Maybe they would have been good together?

Ruby frowned at the thought. _Stop. He doesn't like you like that. Does he? Maybe he does? What if he does? What do I do?!_ She leaned back, resting on her hands. Her fingers brushed against his, and she almost jumped from the contact.

"You okay?" Jaune inquired, turning his head to look at her.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm alright!" Ruby quickly replied, nodding her head. Her face was red, but she did her best to ignore it. She swallowed saliva down as she tried to form coherent thoughts. It was surprising to do when he was staring at him with those bright, blue eyes. _I like him. I mean, I know I like him, but I don't want to date him… Right? What if I do? So what if I do?! Ahhh, do something, Ruby!_

"Jaune. Can I… tell you something?"

"Course. What's up?"

"I'm scared." She didn't know what made her say those words. Those two, simple words. They made both of their eyes widen, and her stomach twist.

"Scared? Of what?" He was worried about her, because of course he was. He was too good of a person not to be.

Ruby's fingers dug into the cool sand and the bright lights in the sky were almost quiet as she tried to think of what to say. She wanted to find a way to back out, to make a joke out of the situation, but some part of her wouldn't let her. Worse, a part of her wanted to tell Jaune the truth…

"We're friends, right?"

"Course we are."

"Best… friends?"

"Yeah." No hesitation. His finger touched hers again, and Ruby's blush returned. Her mouth opened and closed, but words refused to come out. "Ruby, you can talk to me about anything. I'm not going to abandon you or anything."

 _Abandon me…_ Ruby swallowed down her nerves. "I want to be honest with you. So I'm going to tell you something almost no one else knows, alright? And you can't tell anyone. Okay?"

"I swear on my family name." Jaune placed a hand on his chest and held up two fingers with the other hand. "I won't tell a soul."

Ruby wanted to laugh at the gesture, but she couldn't muster the strength. "You… I've mentioned my boyfriend, before, right?" He nodded. "And I mentioned my dad before." He nodded again. "I want to tell you more about them, what happened, and why I ended up in Vale."

He nodded again, and she took a deep breath, her eyes on the cup of melting ice between them.

"My mom was a really amazing woman. She used to tell me stories when I was growing up. Fairy tales, epics, even stories she wrote herself. She was-" Ruby couldn't help but smile at the memories of Summer Rose. Her mother's laugh, her grin, and her warm hugs all felt so recent... "-really, really incredible."

Ruby glanced at Jaune, expecting him to speak up, but he didn't. He just listened, nodding his head. She silently thanked him, before she dropped the first bomb.

"But she was also sick. Not with a virus, or a disease, I mean, I guess it's a disease, but it's a mental one. She had this mental illness." _Called Dissociative Identity Disorder…_ Her lips didn't say the words, and Jaune didn't ask, so she just kept going. "But she was getting better. I remembered her being happy, and she never did anything to hurt anyone, but… my dad didn't think so."

"I was twelve when my mom was thrown in an insane asylum." Jaune's eyes widened, and she shivered under his stare. "My dad put her there… I remember her being pulled into a car, screaming for me and dad to help her… I wanted t-" She stifled a whimper, her vision blurring. How long had it been since she had recalled these memories…? It felt like years…"I wanted to, but dad wouldn't let me. I haven't seen my mom since."

Ruby was twenty-one now. Her mother had been taken away almost ten years ago. Part of her thought that the pain would have gone away by now. It hadn't…

"Ruby, I'm… I'm so sorry," Jaune whispered. "I-I can't imagine what that's like..."

He didn't even know the whole story, and Ruby just couldn't muster up the strength to tell it to him. How Summer was taken away with Raven, her alternate personality. How the trauma of that day created Blake to 'live' for Ruby and Yang, both of whom were too overwhelmed to properly function…

Blake lived for Ruby and Yang, going to school, dealing with their father, and more. The time Ruby and Yang spent in control was small at first, but eventually they got better. Not back to good, but… able to live.

"That's why my father and I are so distant. I… I think he was trying to protect me, but I just can't forgive him for what he did."

"I understand," Jaune uttered. "I'm sorry…" He lifted a hand to place on her shoulder, but it fell between them. So Ruby fell forward, letting her head fall on his shoulder as their bodies pressed together. She just needed to know he was there… She didn't care how red her face was.

"After that, I just sort of went through the motions. I had friends, but I couldn't tell them what happened. Most of them just left me alone… The only person I told was my best friend, Sun, but not even that lasted… I ended up pushing him away after I started dating Adam."

Ruby gulped down her nerves and Jaune silently reminded her she could stop now, if she wanted. She just nodded her head in understanding, before continuing.

"I started dating Adam when I was fourteen years old. He was an older guy. Two years older than me. He seemed so nice when we first met, and… and even after I told him about my mom, he told me he loved me."

Jaune's hand fell on her back, and he held her close, warming her with his embrace. She closed her eyes for a moment, memorizing the feel of his chest, and the soft rhythm of his heartbeat.

Adam had been so kind to her. He was even nice to Yang and Blake when she told him about them. He didn't treat her differently. He loved her, and for a long time, she loved him.

"Adam was… He used to talk all the time about how he was going to change the world. He was going to grow up and leave Patch and become someone. He was going to take down corporate corruption, and greedy politicians, and bring equality to everyone in the world, and at first, I believed him. I actually thought he was a hero, for a while…" Ruby's vision was blurring, and she tried to shake away the tears. She didn't want to cry...

"Sun knew something was wrong, but I didn't believe him. He kept trying to warn me about Adam, but eventually I got mad and told him to leave me alone. I told him he was just jealous…" Technically, Blake told him, but Ruby had done nothing to stop it… "I should have listened."

"I don't know if Adam got worse as he got older, or if I just never saw it, but eventually things got really bad. He started taking his anger out on me. He never hit me, but he would yell at me, or push me, and I knew he was cheating on me behind my back… We broke up on really bad terms when I was seventeen, and I tried to leave for Vale as soon as I could after I graduated. I just couldn't take living in Patch anymore. Too many bad memories."

Again, Ruby spoke with half-truths and hidden facts. She couldn't tell Jaune about how Adam had abused Blake and Yang, or how the break-up caused Ruby to dissociate again. While Ruby, Blake, and Yang dealt with the emotional turmoil of the breakup, Weiss was born to 'fix' things and keep their body going.

Weiss buried herself in Ruby's studies, and Ruby left her high school with awards and straight As. With Weiss' grades, Ruby was able to get a scholarship to Beacon, and she left with barely a goodbye to her father…

"I left Patch, and just kept to myself while I was Vale. I met Neon, but she and I weren't real friends… Then I met you." Ruby pulled herself out of the hug, and the tears came down her face. She sobbed, breaking down as the weight of her past came crashing down on her.

"And everytime we're together, I can't help but compare you to Adam, and I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry, but I've just… I've been betrayed so many times, and hurt by people I trusted, and… I-I just don't want to mess us up…"

"It's okay. Let it out." Jaune pulled her into another hug, and she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around him. "Cry as much as you want. I will never betray you."

And cry Ruby did. She sobbed into her friend's chest, hiccuping and gasping as she wept. They laid like that for a long time, the fireworks having long gone quiet. They had missed the finale, but neither minded. They held each other tightly, as Jaune whispered in Ruby's ear.

"You've been through a lot. It's okay to have trust issues. It's okay to be scared, and hurt, and everything else you're feeling. It's okay," he promised.

She wanted to say thank you, but all Ruby could do was hiccup as she rubbed snot and tears against Jaune's clothes. They stayed like that for the next minutes, before Jaune finally muttered something.

"Can I tell you something…?" She nodded against his frame. "I haven't told my parents that I left Beacon."

"What?" Her voice was quiet as Ruby lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes widened. Jaune looked defeated. As if all the energy and joy was sucked out of him.

"I feel like people have always looked down on me," he admitted. "I know most people don't, but the truth is I'm not really good at a lot of things. I'm not fast, or strong, or even that brave. I try my best, but it never feels good enough. Before I graduated, my parents told me they planned on moving, and my younger siblings were going to go with them. My older sisters had already moved out of the house by then, so my parents gave me a choice. Go with them, or stay with my friends in Vale."

"I chose Pyrrha. I chose to go to Beacon and study a music major, and when I told my parents they told me not to be afraid of coming home if things didn't work out… I could see it in their eyes," he sighed. "They didn't believe I could do it, and they were right. I wasn't good enough. I thought I was going to show them that I could make it. That I was smart enough to excel at something, but when Pyrrha left, something in me left with her… I haven't told them yet cause, well, I just didn't want to prove them right."

"The only people who know are Ren, Nora, and now you." Jaune looked at her, a melancholy smile on his face. "I know it's nothing like what happened to you, and I'm not trying to make a competition out of our suffering, but… I wanted you to know." He squeezed her small frame tightly, before he looked into her eyes. "You deserve to know... And now if I ever do something stupid, you can tell my folks on me."

Despite everything, Ruby chuckled art the joke. She wiped her eyes, before embracing Jaune one last time.

"I'm never going to abandon you, Ruby. Never going to betray you, or hurt you. I'm your friend, and I'm going to treat you like it. Simple as that."

And Ruby believed in, and her heart soared, because she knew she could trust him. She didn't know just what to call what she felt for him, but it felt good, and warm.

Jaune pulled his body away with a vibrant blush. His hands slipped down her body, until only one hand rested on her hip. "Sorry about that. Just felt like the right thing to do… You okay?"

"Y-yeah, and don't apologize. It was nice." Ruby was blushing almost as badly as Jaune was. _Did you just say hugging him was nice?! Come on, Ruby! Pull yourself together._ She pulled her hands from his body, but one hand stayed on his shoulder, gently squeezing him. "Thank you for telling me that, Jaune…"

"Thank you for telling me about your past," he replied. "None of that could have been easy… I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. None of it is your fault." They stood up together, and Jaune placed his other hand on Ruby's arm to help keep her balanced. Neither had pulled away from the other just yet. "Thanks for listening."

Neither said anything when their eyes met. They weren't sure what could have been said. Should Ruby tell Jaune 'thank you,' again? Apologize? She didn't know, but what she did know was that his blue eyes were captivating, even at night…

Ruby inched forward, slowly closing the gap between them. Jaune didn't react, simply staring into her silver eyes. Ruby's nerves told her to stop, but she felt… high? Intoxicated? Maybe it was the location, maybe it was throwing their baggage out in the open, or maybe it was just something spur of the moment.

She felt daring, and stupid, and young. She felt happy with him. The nice, kind man who had been nothing less than great to her…

Ruby Rose inched closer again, feeling her chest brush against his body. She had no idea what she was doing, but part of her wanted to try… but she never got the chance, as Jaune placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her like he was sorry for something…

"I-We should probably head back to the hotel," he muttered. Ruby blinked, and Jaune refused to look her in the eyes.

* * *

Ruby and Jaune were quiet by the time they had reached their hotel room. They were exhausted, too exhausted to even talk. Even if they had the energy, Ruby wondered if they would have talked. Things felt awkward since she tried doing… whatever that was...

They entered the bedroom quietly, and Ruby left for the bathroom to change while Jaune did the same in the bedroom. The young woman's movement was slow and sluggish, and when she was done changing into her pajamas, she just stared at the door with a small, thin frown.

If Jaune hadn't stopped her, would she have kissed him? Is that what she wanted? Did she want to kiss Jaune? No… No! But if it was, why did he stop her…? Was she moving too fast? Was there something wrong with her? Was it because she wasn't Pyrrha? The questions ran through her mind as her eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Ruby yawned, and she steeled herself as she opened the door.

Jaune was sitting on the bed in his blue pajamas, looking at her.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied.

"I was thinking. Um… Do you want to just sleep on the bed together?" Ruby's tired eyes widened as Jaune cleared his throat. "I mean, only if you want to. I don't think either of us really liked sleeping on the ground, and we're a couple of mature adults." He smiled at her, his cheeks carrying a slight, rosy hue.

"Are… you sure?" He nodded his head. Ruby's silver eyes bounced between him and her mouth hung open for a moment, before she nodded her head. "Alright… If you're okay with it."

The blond nodded and walked over to the switch and turned the lights off as she approached the bed. Together, the two moved under the covers of the bed, resting their heads on the large, soft pillows the hotel supplied.

They slept on opposite sides, their backs to one another. Both of them heavy with thoughts of the other as they tried to sleep. Minutes passed, until one of them finally spoke up.

* * *

"Ruby?" Jaune's whisper was the only sound in the dark room for a while, and he let out a low, hefty sigh. "I'm sorry…"

He wasn't blind. He really did want to kiss her. At least, that's what it looked like she was expecting. Jaune Arc wanted to kiss Ruby Rose… He blushed at the mere thought of her soft lips on his mouth, squeezing his eyes as he sighed again.

Jaune made a promise, and come hell or high water, he always tried to keep his promises, but every moment alone with Ruby made this promise harder and harder to keep.

He shouldn't have liked her as much as he did. She was nice, and funny, and cool, but he shouldn't have liked her this much! But he did, and he hated himself for it.

Jaune reminded himself not to take advantage of Ruby's emotional state. She made it clear that she wasn't looking for a boyfriend. She was just looking for a friend, and that was fine with him. Just being her friend was enough for him...

 _Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'll start believing it,_ his half asleep mind muttered, drifting off to dreams of a certain silver-eyed woman.

 **END**

This update is long overdue. Sorry. I got sick with the cold and my body basically started dying. Heh. Couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow solid food, bad headache. Ugh. Horrid. But here we are, with an extra long chapter, cause you guys deserve it.

On the bright side, once this year ends, I'm planning on updating this story faster. That'll be nice, huh? Two updates a month? God, it's almost like a decent update schedule. Ah… Sarcastic retort aimed at myself…

This chapter, we learned a lot about Ruby and Jaune, and their past, plus a general idea of Ruby and her alts' ages. For reference, Yang was 'born' when Ruby was little, so she's almost the same age as Ruby, Blake's almost ten years old, and Weiss is around 4, I think. Now, this is just how long they've existed. They're still mature young ladies able to think for themselves. No pedophilia or anything here, folks.

I really wanted to capture the idea that 'everyone has a story' in this, er… story. Yes, Ruby and Jaune are our main leads, and both have some dramatic secrets that are important to the story, Ruby's more than Jaune's obviously, but you'll find other characters with their own baggage later on. It's kind of a theme.

As a reviewer put it, and I love to remind myself, 'Everyone has something going on emotionally.' Thanks, NoOneImportantHere.

That, and I like writing cute fluff (yay!) and wicked drama (also yay!).

Oh, and Monty made an appearance. I didn't really try to capture the late Monty Oum's personality, just have a fun reference to the great man. Maybe in later chapters, I'll have Monty give Stan Lee-esque cameos, an honor to two great artists.

Also, I really did researching Hawaii for this story. You really can take nightly tours of a zoo, and there are fireworks every Friday on Waikiki Beach. Also, Matsumoto Shaved Ice is real. Just some fun bits of reality I wanted to include. Makes it feel a little authentic.

See ya next update, folks, where Jaune talks to Ren about girls, Weiss talks to Jaune about something or other, and Ruby and the alts learn a little about themselves. Love ya, stay safe, and remember, you are loved!

Next Update: December 16th.


	10. Author's Note

I usually hate making an entire chapter one, big author's note, but I really didn't know how else to say this. As you can obviously tell, this story hasn't been updated in a while, and it has missed it's promised update. So why is this? Why have I not updated this story? Well, I'll be upfront and honest with you. There are three big reasons for why this story hasn't been updated, and afterwards, I'm going to talk about the future of this story.

1\. Busy. The ever so classic excuse that anyone gives to why they haven't done what they promised. Does it justify me leaving my readers hanging? No, but it is the honest truth. I have been busy, and I've been exhausted working on other responsibilities that I have.

2\. Creating something original. Y'know, honestly you could just slip this under 1, but I wanted it to be it's own thing. I've been trying to work on making something original, made all from my mind, and it has been a tiring, time consuming process.

But honestly? I feel like I could still work on this story despite everything above, but number three is probably the most damning of factors.

3\. Lack of interest in the source material.

I haven't watched a full season of RWBY since Volume 3. I watched all of that, but Volume 4, I just watched the Weiss and Team RNJR bits. I haven't even watched any of Volume 5 or 6, mostly just cause I don't really care for it anymore.

I like the characters, well, some of them, enough to still write or want to write one shots about Ruby and Jaune, but I've never really cared for Blake, or Yang, or some of the other characters, not as much as I've cared for Ruby, Jaune, Penny, or Weiss.

I'm not trying to badmouth the show, or fans of the characters I've mentioned. You like what you like, that's great, but I watched the Adam VS Yang and Blake fight, and I just wasn't invested. I wanted to be, but I wasn't, and I found myself more annoyed than anything else at how Adam died. Hell, I don't really care about the central conflict of Ozpin VS Salem in general.

If you enjoy the show still, more power to you, you're a smart individual, don't let my thoughts sway you, but it's hard writing for this story when you just don't care that much for the source material.

But enough about that. What's the future of this story?

I don't know. I don't know if I want to continue it or not, because I genuinely don't know. I'd love to continue telling Ruby and Jaune's story. Yang's eventual realization about how her actions have hurt others, Adam's return, Pyrrha's return, Ruby and Jaune meeting Summer, and god, I had quite the idea for Salem and Qrow, but...

I don't know, and I know that's probably the worst answer I can give to you guys. The limbo of, maybe it'll come back, maybe it won't. For now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this story.

I'd like to continue it, but I don't know if it's worth it, and I don't know if I should or can if I don't watch the source material more. Is this story lesser for me not watching the source material more? Does the quality of my work go down if I don't watch Season 7 or 8? Maybe.

I'll try to give you folks a real answer in the coming weeks/months. Until then, please, take care, be safe, and know that you are loved.

I'll see ya later.


	11. A Simple Fact

So this story is back... Yaaay!

 **A Simple Fact**

Ruby woke up pressed against something warm, and she let out a sigh of contentment. She snuggled up against it, and like a snake under the rays of the sun, Ruby just wanted to stick her tongue out and sleep forever. It was the kind of warmth where you could just lay down and nap the day away.

She nestled against the mass, a cheerful moan slipping from her lips. Her half-asleep mind stirred for only half a second, before it began to drift back to sleep. She pulled the blankets around her as she rubbed her face against the warm, soft thing.

The dark-haired girl heard a quiet grunt, but she ignored it as sleep called for her. That's when a voice brushed against her ear.

"Ruby…"

She felt something touch her back, and Ruby's eyes shot open as she felt her nose pressed against something hard. The soft cloth she thought was a blanket had actually been Jaune's shirt, and her face was currently pressed against his chest. His surprisingly warm and firm chest.

The young woman knew she should have just pushed Jaune away, but her brain failed to properly issue orders out to the rest of her body. Ruby's face felt hot as her brain sparked and fizzled out. All the silver-eyed, red-faced girl could do was slowly look up, finding Jaune's sleeping face over her head. His eyes closed, mouth slightly open, arms wrapped around her body…

Ruby wasn't sure if the sound she was hearing was her own internal screaming, or just the sound of her brain short circuiting. Either way, it was just the jolt she needed to work on escaping the blond's firm hold. Ruby tried to pull away, but Jaune's arms were holding her in place.

 _Do I wake him? No, if I wake him he'll freak out! I can't wake him…! Oh, what if I just go back to sleep_ _and wait for him to wake up? He'll calmly pull his arms off of me, get up, and I'll 'wake up' a few minutes after and we'll both just pretend nothing happened!_

How likely her plan was, was up for debate, but Ruby was nothing, if not an optimist. So she took a deep breath, smelling Jaune's musk, which really wasn't that bad, and pretended to go to sleep...

His musk wasn't good, obviously. Ruby always did think that the word musk sounded gross, but Jaune's musk wasn't that bad and she really needed to stop thinking about his musk!

 _Seriously, Ruby, stop thinking about Jaune's musk. Darn it!_

Thoughts of Jaune's odor aside, Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and tried to fall back asleep. Unfortunately, sleep was impossible as she laid in Jaune's arms. The man mumbled something, nuzzling his face against Ruby's hair.

 _Who knew Jaune was such a cuddler…? Then again, I'm not much better._ Adam used to comment that she tended to latch onto things in her sleep. It hadn't really been a problem recently since she slept alone… the most she ever did was hug her pillow, but now….

The young woman gulped, opening one of her eyes to stare at Jaune. The blond looked so peaceful in his sleep. Adam used to always complain about Ruby's cuddling habits. He used the word 'needy,' with a joking smile, but looking back it was just another red flag for why Ruby should have never dated Adam.

Jaune didn't look too upset. In fact, hadn't he said her name in his sleep?

 _Is… is he dreaming about me?_

That thought made Ruby's already red cheeks burn and she wished there was somewhere she could bury her face, but all she had access to was Jaune's chest, and she really didn't want to get any closer to the well-smelling man.

So Ruby laid in Jaune's arms, trying to sleep, and failing miserably because all she could think about was how nice he smelled, and if he was dreaming about her, and if that was why he looked so happy...

 _Get a grip, Ruby! It's only weird if you make it weird…_ Jaune moaned, and Ruby could feel his hands gently stroke her back, slowly moving up and down the smooth surface. He pulled on her again, and Ruby could feel her chest press against his.

Following that, Ruby's brain shut down for a moment, her eyes locked in a wide, thousand miles stare.

 _Oh. Oh no. M-maybe I should try to escape again, yeah, that's a good idea. Just pry myself free and- Oh, man, why'd I go to sleep without a bra!? Stop, just stop thinking about it Ruby, just stop thinking about it. Just focus on freeing yourself and-_

Ruby felt something hard brush against her thigh, and her pupils shrank into a pair of tiny dots. _Oh no._ Contrary to popular belief, Ruby wasn't that innocent. She knew what a man was packing between his legs, and she also knew what tended to happen in the morning to men Jaune's age.

Feeling that hard 'thing' was enough to wake Ruby right up, and she practically threw the blanket off of her as she screamed. Yes, scream. It was a panicked moment, but one that was engraved in Ruby's mind as she fell off of the bed.

"Huh? What?! What's happening?!" Jaune yawned, sitting up. He looked over the bed's edge to find Ruby on the ground, groaning in pain. "Ruby? Are you alright?" He moved to the other side of the bed and held his hand out to her, and she took it as she stood up.

"Y-yep! I'm great! Super! P-peachy!" Ruby quickly replied, shooting up onto her feet. Jaune blinked as he stared at his friend, and the young woman couldn't stop her silver eyes from glancing towards Jaune's crotch.

Nothing there. Well, obviously something was there, but nothing she could see. No… 'hard thing.' Meaning she probably just felt his knee. Meaning she just looked crazy for nothing. Ruby's eyes shot back to Jaune's face, and she hoped and prayed he didn't just catch her looking at his crotch.

 _It's okay. Don't panic. Just play it cool..._ "I need to brush my pee!" Ruby loudly announced. Her voice cracked, and what she said clearly earned an amused a snort from Jaune as Ruby's face burned pink. "You know what I mean!" she growled, before making a mad dash for the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her as she struggled to collect her fallen dignity.

Ruby turned on the faucet and splashed water into her face, taking long, slow breaths. That was easily one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.

" _What is with all of the yelling? Do you have any idea how early it is?!"_ Weiss groaned.

"Sorry, Weiss. Just… nothing. Nevermind," Ruby mumbled.

If Weiss noticed something was off, she chose to ignore it. Thankfully Ruby could avoid an interrogation as Yang's voice was heard.

" _Aloha, Ruby! Aloha, Weiss-cream! Hope you two had a good night's sleep, cause I had a great one! Who's ready for some tropical paradise?!"_

" _Morning, Yang,"_ Ruby replied as she looked at the door. Jaune was right behind it, probably laughing at her still.

" _Ugh, I'm assuming you were the one being so loud?"_ Weiss huffed.

" _No idea what you're talking about, Weiss-cream. All I know is that I'm looking forward to enjoying the Hawaii!"_

" _Yeah, me too!"_ Ruby was quick to agree, hoping neither of her personalities would notice anything odd about her. Ruby and the two personalities traded small talk, until a fourth voice greeted them.

"Good morning." Blake probably said that more for their benefit than hers. If she hadn't, they might have never realized she was even awake.

With all of them awake, and no one suspicious of her, Ruby opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. Her pale cheeks immediately turned red as Jaune looked at her, his phone in his hand.

"Hey. Your pee nice and clean?" Jaune joked, raising his brow.

In context, it was a friendly, teasing remark. Some light jesting between friends, and Ruby understood that. Out of context, and Jaune was a gross pervert asking a woman about her pee, and unfortunately for Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang were both ignorant to the joke...

" _Ew! What did that pervert just say?!"_ Weiss gagged.

" _What the hell is wrong with him?!"_ Yang's blood boiled, or maybe it was better to say Yang was boiling Ruby's blood? Either way, Ruby quickly tried to diffuse the situation.

"It's not what it sounds like!" She quickly blurted out. She could already feel Yang trying to take control, not doubt to punch Ruby's friend. "I was sleepy, and I was trying to say 'I need to brush my teeth,' but I also wanted to pee, and I just got stuck in the middle…"

"It's fine," Jaune laughed. "It was funny."

Weiss was still disgusted, and Yang was still fuming, but at least they understood Jaune was just joking. Ruby tried to calm them down, but she wasn't sure how much they would listen.

Meanwhile, Jaune gestured to his phone with a smile. "I got a text from the others. They're all meeting downstairs for breakfast. Wanna join them?"

Ruby blinked, before smiling. That sounded nice, and hopefully it would help calm down her alts. "I'd like that, yeah."

* * *

The two changed and left their room with smiles on their faces. They made small talk as they walked to the elevator together. Ruby wanted to thank the blond for last night, but she hesitated. Her alts were listening now, meaning she would have to explain last night to them… She'd rather avoid that...

It wasn't that Ruby didn't want to tell the truth to her alts, she just wanted to hold onto that memory for herself for just a bit longer. Just feel normal for a little bit…

The two soon made it to the restaurant downstairs, and they found their friends, plus Coco, Velvet, and the others, waiting for them. They were all sitting at a large, round table, leaving two seats open for Jaune and Ruby between Ren and Coco. Jaune and Ruby sat down as everyone exchanged their greetings.

"So, how'd you two like your room?" Coco teased, gently elbowing Ruby's arm.

Both young adults blushed at the remark, choosing not to answer the question as Jaune changed the subject.

"So, what's the plan for today?"

Coco smirked, amused by the couple's red faces. "Well, Fox and I have relatives coming in tomorrow, so we were thinking of making today a bit of an adventure, before old people come and ruin our fun."

"As they do," Nora agreed with a nod.

Nora and Coco shared a fist bump, before the latter continued. "After tomorrow, we have the bachelor and bachelorette parties."

"Aw yeah!" Nora beamed, throwing her arms to the roof. Ren sipped his coffee as he pulled her arms back down.

"And then the wedding day." Coco linked her hand with Fox, locking their fingers together as she kissed her boyfriend's cheek. The blind man smiled, nodding his head.

"I see you haven't backed out yet, Coco."

"Love you too, Foxy."

There was a click, and everyone turned to find Velvet holding a camera in her hands. "What? Coco told me to capture all the best moments!" Jaune and Ruby chuckled at the photographer's blushing face, but Ruby noticed something catching Jaune's eyes. She followed his gaze and she noticed Cardin sitting beside Velvet.

Cardin wasn't doing anything. He didn't even seem to be paying attention. He just stared at his glass of water, rubbing his thumb against the glass. He had this… half scowl on his face? Ruby wasn't sure how to describe it. Cardin glanced at the two, and his eyes sharpened into a small glare, before he grinned.

"So, Coco, when are we gonna have a luau? I thought we would have seen some babes in hulu skirts dancing by now," He chuckled as half the tables glared at him, and the other half just rolled their eyes. The only exceptions were: Ruby, who just raised a brow in confusion, and Velvet, who looked like she wanted to apologize for Cardin.

Ruby noticed Velvet glaring at Cardin, who held up his hands and leaned back in his seat. He shrugged, before becoming quiet.

"Wait for the wedding night, Winchester. Then you can get rejected by the local girls."

Wanting to avoid any unnecessary drama, Ruby spoke up, trying to change the subject. "So, Coco, you said today was going to be an adventure? What did you have planned?"

Coco's glare was quickly replaced with a wide and eager grin. She leaned forward as she spoke. "Fox and I were thinking about going out for a nature walk."

"Whoo! Nature hike!" Nora cheered, punching the air. Again, Ren grabbed her hand and pulled it back to her side.

"That sounds fun," Jaune grinned. Ruby smiled, nodding her head in agreement.

"Seriously? A nature hike? We're in Hawaii, why the hell are we-?" Cardin shook his head, only to stop as Velvet glared at the young man. He turned his head away to avoid her piercing eyes, a scowl etched on his face.

The majority of the group seemed rather excited at the idea, and Ruby could even feel her alts' eagerness. Weiss, Yang, and even Blake all seemed excited to explore the island's natural beauty. If she was lucky, she could forget all about this morning, and how she embarrassed herself.

Her mind wandered for a moment, and with memories of this morning came memories of last night. Ruby frowned as she thought of her and Jaune's almost kiss, and she took in a deep breath through her nose.

Hopefully she could forget that memory too.

The group soon turned fell into different conversations, and everyone excitedly talked about their plans for the next few days. Ruby was mostly quiet, comfortable only talking with Jaune, Ren, and Nora, all of whom were already in the middle of their own conversations.

Cardin was in a similar situation, quietly eating his food when it was finally brought to him. Ruby wasn't sure what to make of the tall, burly man. She barely knew him, but she could easily see why he was so disliked.

Ruby was the only one who wasn't a part of his past, which left the young woman curious. She wondered if the present day Cardin had changed much since bullying Jaune. Right now, he did nothing more than made quiet, rude remarks, but even that seemed to stop after Velvet looked at him. He just sat beside the brunette, quietly eating.

Ruby's thoughts were distracted as Jaune let out a loud, long yawn. He held a hand in front of his mouth as everyone stared at him. When the blond noticed, he blinked and apologized. "Sorry. Just tired. Ruby and I were up all night together."

There was a moment of silence as Ruby's eye twitched. She glanced at Jaune, then at everyone else, before looking down. The others just stared at them, utterly bewildered by the comment. Jaune didn't even seem to realize the implications of what he said for the first few moments.

Inside her mind, Ruby could feel her alts looming over her as her cheeks turned red.

"Doing what exactly?" Coco questioned, a smirk growing on her face.

" _Ruby… What did you do with Blondie, exactly?"_ Yang didn't sound happy, and Ruby fought back a groan.

Jaune seemed to realize his mistake, and his eyes widened as he froze. He opened his mouth to clarify, his face a bright red, but Nora cut him off.

"I was wondering what that banging was!"

The joke broke the silence, and the others couldn't hold back their laughter as Ruby and Jaune sat in their seats, utterly mortified.

"Nora..." Ren was the only one, besides the scarlet-faced couple, not to laugh. He sighed, trying to speak up over the laughter. "She's joking, there was no banging. Our rooms aren't even close enough to hear them."

"But then how do we know there was no banging then?" Nora snickered beside her boyfriend as Jaune tried picking up the pieces of his and Ruby's dignity.

"We were just walking." the young man declared, his cheeks a bright red. "That's it. We were just walking around."

"Yeah. Just. Walking." Ruby spoke the words more for her alts' benefit than anyone at the table's. Despite their explanation, it was clear that the others in the group weren't going to let them forget what it sounded like.

"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" Coco grinned.

"Bow chika bow wow," Nora added with a grin.

"Seriously! We were just walking around together!"

Ruby tried to just focus on her food. She really hoped no one would ask for details about last night. The last thing she needed was to think about her failed kiss again. She hoped Jaune wouldn't accidentally blurt that out too... She lifted some food to her mouth, only for Yang's voice to call out to her.

 _"So, anything you want to share with us, Rubes?"_ Yang wondered.

"Nope. I'm good." Ruby was never a good liar, and she knew Yang saw right through her. The young woman knew that sooner or later, she'd have to fill her alts about the truth. She let out a quiet sigh as she shoved more scramble eggs into her mouth.

* * *

The nine soon finished their breakfast and agreed to meet in the lobby after a few minutes. While the others left to change or retrieve something from their room, Ren and Nora walked to the gift shop together.

Ren stood by a rack of postcards, quietly reading through them as his girlfriend stood beside him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her practically bouncing in place, a clear sign she had something to say.

"So, Renny, do you want to do some 'walking' with me?"

"If you mean actual walking, I'd love to. If you're trying to use walking as a euphemism for something sexual, then maybe later."

Nora ignored his answer as she hopped from one side of him to the other. "You heard Jaune and Ruby, right? They were up all night together! They're totally getting together."

"Nora…"

"We should help them!"

"Nora, no." Ren turned to look at his girlfriend, and he noticed her flinching slightly. He paused, and relaxed his tone of his voice. "Do you remember what happened when you tried playing a scary movie to get them together?"

The memory of her failure turned Nora's grin into a near-flat frown. "Course I do, Ren, but this is different." The young man allowed his girlfriend to make her case, turning so his whole body faced her. He gave her his full attention as she explained, "I still want Jaune and Ruby to get together. You know how happy they make each other, but I won't use any horror movies or anything. I'll just… talk to her."

"And that's it?"

"Yeah. You know, maybe she'll talk to me about how she feels."

"And if she doesn't want to talk about Jaune?"

"Then that's totally fine. I won't force her, I promise!" Nora swore, holding up her fingers to show none were crossed.

Ren stared at his girlfriend, his eyes quietly examining her features. "It's a subtle plan," he commented. "For you, at least," he teased, smiling at her.

His smile was infectious as Nora reflected the expression, only to pause. She lost her smile, speaking with a low tone that for Nora was practically been dead serious.

"I really don't want to mess up what they have, Ren, and I know you probably want things to develop naturally, but come on! You've seen how happy Ruby makes Jaune! He hasn't been this happy in a long time."

"I agree," he nodded his head. Inside his heart, Ren was rather proud of his girlfriend. Her first plan didn't work, so what did she do? Adjust and come up with a new one. A plan that he actually found himself approving of. "You promise you won't force Ruby into anything?"

"I swear. I'll totally back off if she's uncomfortable!"

"Then I'll talk to Jaune and see what he's thinking. That was the other half of your plan, wasn't it?" Ren smiled at his girlfriend, who quickly embraced him.

"Ah, reading my mind again, huh? I love you," she giggled, pecking his cheek. Ren tried to ignore the warmth on his cheeks as he quietly patted his girlfriend's shoulder. The two eventually pulled apart, but rather than smiling, Ren noticed that Nora had a melancholic look in her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, leaving a hand on her shoulder.

"I was just thinking about Pyrrha. How's she gonna react when she sees Jaune has moved on?" She forced out a bitter laugh. "I mean, she had her chance, right? Guess I shouldn't feel too bad." Nora put on a smile, but Ren saw right through it.

"Nora, you know... There's a chance Pyrrha won't-"

"Come on, Ren! She's not going to miss this. It's a wedding!" Neither of them talked about the birthdays Pyrrha had missed. The text messages and emails they sent that were ignored. Ren didn't have the heart to bring them up as Nora grinned.

"Man, Ruby and Jaune better thank us when all this is over! It's gonna be great!" Her smile was wide and earnest, yet Ren feared for his girlfriend.

He hoped she wasn't setting herself up for disappointment. Both for Jaune and Ruby, and in regards to Pyrrha.

* * *

Ruby's alts were mercifully quiet during the car ride out of the city. The young woman wanted to sigh in relief, but kept herself quiet, worried about how others would react. She sat in the car with Jaune, Coco, Velvet, and Cardin, and considering the occupants, the car ride was mostly quiet, besides Coco and Velvet talking to each other.

Jaune glared at the back of Cardin's head while the grown up bully just watched cars go by them.

As Velvet and Coco talked about fashion, clothes, and photography, Ruby glanced over at Jaune. He caught her eyes looking at him, and she blushed as he finally spoke for the first time since they hit the ground.

"Excited to see some nature?" he asked, smiling at her. She returned the gesture. His genuine smile was nice. Earnest and heroic.

"I am, actually. I used to go hiking in Patch all the time when I was younger. This is gonna be awesome," she grinned. "You?"

"Oh, yeah. Whoo," he joked, waving a finger in the air. "I'm pumped..."

"Not a big hiking guy?"

"Eh, I used to go camping with my family when I was younger. Not exactly fun when your sisters do your hair while you're sleeping."

"Ouch. How bad?" Ruby chuckled.

"I'd wake up with almost a dozen bows in my hair. Who know what they'd do to me if I grew out a beard?"

Ruby and Jaune shared a brief laugh, imagining what horrors the young man would have gone through. After their brief chuckle, the two stared at one another, their eyes locked for a moment.

"So, what was walking around Patch like?" he inquired.

"N-nice, um." Ruby cleared her throat. "Cooler than here. Temperature wise, I mean. Lots of woodland animals. I saw a mountain lion a few times."

"Whoa." Jaune's eyes widened. "Seriously? What happened?"

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. My dad had seen plenty of mountain lions in his life, so he knew what to do. We just stared it down and walked back. Dad told me later everything you're supposed to do when you see one."

"Like what?"

"Look intimidating, don't run, don't bend over or crouch. Even throw stuff at it if you have to. Just get it across that you're not prey."

Jaune nodded his head, and Ruby couldn't help but to mess with her friend as she smiled at him. "This one time, dad was taking little baby me on a walk through a nearby forest and a mountain lion found us. He ended up having to fight it off to protect me."

"Whoa, really?" Jaune's eyes widened, only for Ruby to chuckle.

"Nope. Pretty sure dad just made that up to make me think he was cool. It worked for the first few years," she explained, and Jaune blinked, before laughing with her. The two chuckled about the lie, before Jaune smiled at her.

"Maybe one day, you can take me hiking out there. I mean, I'm not gonna know what to do if a mountain lion thinks I'm lunch."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to protect you," Ruby swore, and the two smiled at one another.

It was at this moment that Ruby realize just how close the two were. They were sitting next to each other, their thighs pressed together. Jaune's face was close to hers, and suddenly she didn't know what she should say next. She swallowed spit down as she pulled her head back, staring out the window. Jaune pulled away as well, sitting firmly in the middle of the row.

Cardin, who sat on Jaune's other side, rolled his eyes at the two, though neither noticed.

" _That's the first time you've said anything positive about dad in a long time,"_ Blake commented, and Ruby's eyes widened. She was right… _"Not to mention you mentioned going back to Patch."_ Something else Ruby promised she'd never do.

" _Seems like Blondie's making you break a lot of promises to yourself,"_ Yang commented. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but the anger and contempt in her voice was clear.

" _Yang, please don't be mad at Jaune,"_ Ruby pleaded.

" _I'm not. He doesn't know what happened."_ Except Jaune did know. Ruby told him nearly everything about her time in Patch. All the important stuff, at least, save for Ruby's… condition. _"Look, Ruby, just... don't forget what dad did to mom."_ Yang's voice was low, and she made no attempt to hide the anger she felt for dad. _"He's a bad guy."_

Of course Ruby remembered what her father did. Yet despite everything he did, she still had some happy memories of him. Of him and mom happy together, before Summer was thrown away to rot in some horrible asylum…

Ruby's hands balled into fists as she took a deep breath. Yes, she remembered what her father did, but it felt wrong to think that was all he did. Tai… Tai was her father. That meant something.

She just wished she knew what that something was.

* * *

The group arrived the nature trail within a few minutes. Coco stepped out, leaving the others behind to join her fiance. Jaune stepped out and groaned, stretching his arms to the sky as he noticed Ruby doing the same.

" _Whoo! Nature hike, let's go!"_ Yang shouted. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if Yang really was excited, or if she was just trying to hide she was really feeling.

The news that Ruby spent time with Jaune probably annoyed Yang, at least a little bit. The fact that Ruby brought up their father during the car ride certainly didn't help. Ruby made a mental note to check up on her sister when she could, when a voice greeted her.

"You okay?" Jaune asked, walking towards her.

"Yeah. Just feels nice to get out of that car."

"Well, better do some stretches. Looks like we got a lot of hiking ahead of us," Jaune commented, glancing at the forest around them.

Their group's cars stopped at a parking lot where two small complexes sat. There were a few other people about to go out on the walk, as well as some workers who were helping people with questions. Beyond the two small buildings was a forest spreading out for miles, and the two could hear the faint sound of a nearby river.

"This place is beautiful," Ruby commented, and she meant it. The place reminded her of Patch's forests and rivers. All the happy memories she had of her family picnicking and playing by the stream. She smiled as she looked around, feeling her own excitement grow. "This is gonna be awesome."

Jaune smiled at her, before he took a deep breath. "Hey, Ruby? Can I talk to you about something?"

"Hm? Sure, what's up?"

"It's about what we talked about in the car. You brought up your dad?" Ruby felt nervous, suddenly, and she looked at Jaune as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I remember what you said last night about him."

 _Oh no._

" _Ruby, what is he talking about…?"_ Yang asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Ruby, for the first time in her life, cursed how nice and caring Jaune was. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out as her silver eyes darted side to side.

"I-I...uh… I'm fine, Jaune," she quickly uttered. "Don't worry about it. I'm good! I-I should go." Ruby tried to salvage what she could, hoping against hope that she could keep what she and Jaune talked about a secret.

Without any warning, Ruby suddenly pulled away, walking away from Jaune as quickly as she could.

"H-hey, wait!" Jaune called out to her, but she didn't listen, leaving him behind. His arms hung limply by his side as he wondered what he did wrong…

Meanwhile, Ruby was dealing with her own problems.

" _Ruby, what did you two talk about?"_ Yang asked again. _"What does he know about dad?"_

" _Yang, please don't be upset…"_

" _I'm not upset! I just want to know what you said."_ She certainly sounded upset.

" _I told Jaune… I told him about dad, and mom, and… about Adam."_

Ruby's mind felt bizarrely quiet for a moment. No one spoke. Not Yang, not Blake, and not Weiss. All Ruby could hear was the ambient sound of the forest and her own racing heart.

" _Guys?"_

" _What. Exactly. Did you say?"_ Yang slowly questioned.

" _I told him what dad did to mom. What Adam did-"_

" _Did you tell him about us?"_

" _No! I didn't! I swear. I didn't tell him about you, or what mom had. He just knows she was sick and-"_

" _She wasn't sick!"_ Yang shouted, and Ruby held her head as the alt's voice boomed. Ruby could hear Yang growling, before she let out a harsh sigh. _"You should have said something to us, Ruby. You should have asked us if it was okay before telling him about mom and dad!"_

" _I know. I'm sorry, but-"_

" _And why tell him? Why do you think he has any right to know about our family?"_

" _Yang, I'm-"_

" _Enough."_ Blake's voice silenced both parties, and Ruby felt the alt step forward. _"Yang, you need to stop."_

" _Wait, me? What the hell did I do?! Ruby's the one who-"_ Ruby flinched at the angry tone her sister took, not to mention how she clearly saw Ruby as the bad guy in this argument. Blake didn't let Yang finish, though.

" _Because you keep acting like you have a stake in this."_

" _What...?"_

" _You've always acted like Summer and Tai are your parents. They aren't. They never have been. They never will be. I've let you act out in the past because it's never gotten in Ruby's way, but if you're going to start acting like you're entitled to answers or command of her life, then I'll spell it out for you."_

" _Blake, wait-"_ Ruby was ignored as Blake stated a simple fact.

" _Summer and Tai are Ruby's parents, not yours. You don't have parents. You don't get control over Ruby's life, and she doesn't need your permission to live her life."_

Ruby's mouth fell open and everything seemed to go still. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind lay silent. Yang said nothing, but Ruby could feel the alt leaving her mind, retreating to the depths of her psyche. Ruby's legs quivered, as if she had been physically hit, and her breath was slow as Blake spoke again.

" _She'll be okay."_

" _H-how can you be sure?! Blake, what you said was awful! How could you say that?!"_

" _Am I wrong?"_ Blake replied. _"Summer is your mother, and only yours. Not mine, not Weiss', and certainly not Yang's. The fact that you've allowed Yang to maintain that belief is kind of you, but it's also incredibly damaging for her. It's going to make her feel like she's owed something."_

Blake's words were as blunt to Ruby as they were to Yang. She spelled out Ruby's mistake in a criticizing tone, speaking to Ruby as if the young woman was a child to Blake's mother. " _She isn't your sister, Ruby. Yang is a mental illness._ _We're your alternate personalities, Ruby. We're not people."_

Which meant all of this was Ruby's fault. The young woman held herself responsible, as if she was the one to break Yang's heart. Maybe, in a way, it was all her fault. If she hadn't told Jaune... Even if she wanted to, no matter how much she wanted to, was it right for her to tell him?

Ruby held back tears, sucking in air through her teeth as Blake continued. " _Her entitlement aside, I do have to wonder, Ruby… Are you sure trusting Jaune is wise?"_

Ruby was still reeling from what she had indirectly done to Yang. She placed a hand to her head, rubbing her forehead as she tried to calm down her pounding heart and aching head. She wanted to call out to Yang, to talk to her, to try and work things out.

Yang didn't answer, and Ruby doubted she would for a while.

" _I'm… I'm sure, Blake."_ The alt didn't reply. She just vanished, sinking into the depths of Ruby's mind like Yang had.

Ruby was left alone, on the verge of tears as she rubbed her head. She wasn't even sure if the tears were all from her.

Maybe some of them were Yang's...

"Ruby?" Jaune called out to her, and Ruby quickly wiped away the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Her back was facing him, so he couldn't see her eyes as she wiped them dry. "We're heading out... Hey, you okay?" But he could still sense something was wrong, and it pained Ruby to lie to Jaune, but she couldn't let him know her secret.

She couldn't let him know she was a freak. An insane person with voices in her head... "Y-yeah! I'm alright!" She hoped he didn't notice his wavering voice, or her slightly red eyes as she turned to him. She sniffled, etching a smile onto her face as he looked at her. "Let's go!"

 **END**

Hey, so... we're back. A lot of things happened between this chapter and the last, huh? People stormed Area 51, I watched a lot of Pretty Cure, I started learning how to draw...

Look, let me say first and foremost, thank you to all the people who tried to convince me to return to this story. Even months after I ended it, I was getting reviews in September asking me to keep going, and, well... The only reason this story is still going is because of you guys. You did it. I'm going to at least keep this story going for a few more chapters. Hopefully finish Book 1, at least.

After that? Who knows? We'll see.

But seriously. I want to thank everyone who wanted this story to keep going and left reviews telling me. Thanks to all the people who made accounts, just to tell me to keep writing this story. Thank you to all of the people who were sympathetic to me about stopping. Thanks to ALL the reviews people gave me (even that one person who threatened me with physical violence. I'm sorry if you think my story affected your friend, and I'm sorry if my story did. I hope they get better soon, but threatening to beat me up isn't going to help them).

I'm not putting dates on here anymore, because let's face it, I'm bad at that. So updates come when they come. I already have the next chapter done, but I don't want to post it until I have the chapter after that at least close to done. So look forward to that, folks.


	12. A Little Help From Friends

**A Little Help From Friends**

Velvet couldn't have been happier for her best friend when she told her she was getting married. Coco and Fox had been dating for so long, and finally, finally, they were going to tie the knot. When Coco told Velvet, the two girls screamed and hugged and hopped up and down with huge grins on their faces.

And their smiles only grew as Coco told Velvet that she and Fox were planning a wedding in Hawaii, and Coco wanted Velvet to be the Maid of Honor. Velvet wasn't ashamed to admit that she cried when Coco told her that little piece of info…

Of course, the happy moment was kind of ruined when Velvet asked Coco if Cardin Winchester could come with them.

The same Cardin Winchester that bullied Velvet, Jaune, and about a dozen other kids in high school. The most stereotypical, arrogant jock either of them had ever met. Someone Coco said on multiple occasions that she would love to 'put a few holes in him.'

Coco almost put her foot down. She had never been happy about Velvet taking Cardin in and being his friend. She fought with Velvet, but Velvet fought back, and eventually she won. Coco clearly wasn't happy about it, but Cardin was invited to her wedding…

Of course, Velvet wished Cardin would act a little bit more grateful about that fact. Velvet stuck her neck out for him. The least he could do was be more courteous with Coco and the others…

Of course, not even Cardin's bad attitude was enough to ruin this nature walk for Velvet.

"Oh, wow! Cardin, look! Isn't this place beautiful?!" Velvet beamed as she took a picture of a colorful flower. She looked around the path, grinning ear to ear at the many tall trees and exotic flowers that littered the path.

She walked forward with the taller man keeping pace just behind her. He looked at the same trees she was staring at it, but his face was an almost flat frown as he shrugged.

"Yeah. Trees and dirt. Amazing. Don't got those in America." The brunette came to a stop, and Cardin bumped into her back. Despite her smaller frame, she was like a rock, and he actually stepped back and raised his brow in confusion.

"Cardin." Frustration and disappointment dripped from her voice like venom off a snake's fang. She turned her eyes to glare at him and Cardin didn't bother putting up any kind of bravado. He didn't bother with her anymore.

He placed a hand on the back of his head, scratching at it as his eyes fell to the ground. "Er, sorry," he mumbled.

Cardin was quiet, and no one else heard him but the girl standing before him. "What's wrong?" she asked, holding her camera with one hand as she crossed her arms.

"Nothing," he huffed, and Velvet narrowed her eyes, lifting one of her brows to give him her best 'don't lie to me, buster,' look.

It worked quickly, and Cardin grumbled as he caved under it. "Just hard to enjoy anything when everyone's pissed at you."

"Can you really blame them for being uncomfortable around you?" Velvet asked, trying not to sound too harsh to the man.

"Highschool was years ago. You got over it, why can't they?" he huffed, and Velvet sighed again.

She got over it… Yeah, that was a nice way of putting it. She got over years of bullying from someone a year younger than her. She got over his insults, and his mocking, and his bullying… She just got over it, without any sort of lingering pain or emotional scars.

Velvet's ear twitched, before she took a deep breath and sighed. "Not everyone just 'gets over' being bullied and picked on for years, Cardin."

Cardin didn't say anything. He just shook his head. "Whatever. Come on, let's keep going. Look at trees and stuff…" He tried walking past her, and Velvet palmed her face in her hand. She rubbed her cheeks, before turning around to follow Cardin.

He walked ahead of her, stepping down a steep hill with her behind him. He grunted as his foot slid down the dirt path, and Velvet raised her brow.

"How's your leg?"

"Fine," was his automatic response. After a moment, his eyes avoided hers as he muttered, "Hurts a bit."

"Come on. I want to take pictures of those flowers over there." Her hand caught his sleeve, and took the lead again. He followed behind her as she led him to some brightly colored flowers. She got down on one knee, and she patted the ground beside her.

He fell by her side, sitting with her as he took a deep breath. He rubbed at his leg as Velvet slowly took pictures of the flower, taking her time as the others walked by them.

* * *

Meanwhile, just a few feet ahead of them, Ruby walked down the same path. She didn't smile, she barely looked where she was going. Her thoughts were too consumed by her alts, listening to Blake recount to Weiss what exactly happened between the former and Yang.

Ruby cringed as she heard Weiss' response. _"I can't believe you said that,"_ she spat. _"What is wrong with you?!"_

" _I'm just stating the obvious. Facts that should have been obvious from the start."_

" _And Yang calls me Ice Queen… You couldn't have been a tad more courteous about it?"_

" _I'm not going to sugar coat facts, Weiss. We're a mental illness. We don't have any right to control Ruby's-"_

" _We're not-!"_ Weiss growled, before she went silent. Ruby could feel her trying to reign in her emotions, before Weiss spoke again in an even, if cold tone. _"Yes, I agree with you, we shouldn't control Ruby's life, but the way you're talking, it's like we're not even people!"_

" _Technically speaking, we're not."_

" _AH! You are just impossible to talk to! Clearly you don't see yourself as a person, because it's impossible talking to you like one!"_

" _Weiss-"_ Ruby tried chiming in, tried playing mediator, but she was ignored as Weiss angrily shouted at Blake.

" _I'm not just going to stand here and be insulted. I'm leaving!"_ And then Weiss was gone, leaving Ruby and Blake in the 'front' of the mind.

Ruby could hear Blake sigh. _"It's like talking to children…"_

" _Blake, I… You know I don't see any of you guys like that. You're my family. I love you, girls."_

" _How you feel about us doesn't change reality, Ruby. Maybe it's time you stopped babying those two and accept the reality of the situation."_ And then Blake was gone, and Ruby was all alone.

The dark-haired woman sighed, rubbing at her eyes. She took in a shaky breath, before a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

" _Is she gone?"_

* * *

" _Weiss?"_

The youngest alt had returned, returning to the front of Ruby's mind once Blake had left. The young alt waited, searching for any trace of Blake, before sighing in relief.

" _Good. She's gone…"_

" _Weiss? Are… are you okay?"_

No. She wasn't. She felt attacked, and spat on, and pissed off. She wanted to yell at Blake, but that like yelling at a brick wall. With just about as much personality… No, Weiss wasn't okay, but at least Ruby was easier to talk to than Blake.

" _Ruby, do… do you really just think of us as a mental illness?"_

" _No! Of course not!"_ Ruby sounded like she meant it too, but Weiss wasn't convinced.

She was quiet for a moment, before continuing. _"But Blake clearly does, and Blake is you, so…"_

From day one of being born, each of the alts struggled with this question. Where did one begin and the other end? At what part of the mind did Weiss become Yang? Or Ruby? If one believed something, did that mean they all did?

Clearly not, because Weiss was damn sure she wasn't just a symptom of mental illness. She was her own person, someone who wanted to sing, and dance, and live her own life. Even if it was as just one small piece of a puzzle…

" _Blake's… Blake isn't me, Weiss. She's her, just like you're you. She has her own beliefs, just like how you and I have ours. She doesn't speak for me."_

Weiss felt a sense of relief from the words, but it wasn't enough to settle her uneasy… mind? Fraction of mind? Weiss sighed as she continued. _"Nor me. I don't… I'm not just a symptom. I'm a person."_

" _Yeah! Totally!"_ Ruby didn't sound entirely convinced, but maybe that was just Weiss' cynicism talking. There was a moment of silence, before Ruby spoke again. _"Weiss…? Are you mad at me for telling Jaune about dad? Or mom? Or Adam?"_

 _Weiss pondered the question for a moment, before speaking slowly. "He's not my father, and she's not my mother. I never even met Adam. None of that really feels like it pertains to me."_

For Weiss, all that mattered at first was excelling at school. That's what triggered her creation, in a way. Adam broke the other three's heart, Weiss stepped in to keep the sinking ship going until it reached land.

Weiss was born years after Summer was taken away. She never spoke to Adam, never even saw him face to face, and Tai… Tai was just the stranger in her house she'd occasionally pass by.

The alt knew what had happened regarding all three, but the fact was that none of it felt real to were other people's emotions, other people's memories. Not hers.

" _No. I don't think I am…"_

" _Oh, thank goodness…"_

" _But I do have a question, Ruby. Do you plan on telling Jaune about us?"_ Weiss waited for an answer, but honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.

If Ruby told Jaune about her little secret, then… great. Right? She'd have someone to talk to, someone to be happy with, and that'd be great for Weiss. Less stress trying to take care of the little dunce…

" _I… I don't know."_ Weiss scowled at that answer. She could have settled for a yes, or a no, but maybe? That was limbo, an unknown possibility, and Weiss hated it. _"Maybe?"_

" _I hope you figure out an answer soon. Ruby, I… I don't want to control your life. I hope you know that,"_ Weiss admitted. _"I don't want to be like Yang and act like you have to pass everything you do through me, but I…"_

It felt like Weiss' stomach was twisting. If she had cheeks, they might be blushing right now. All the little things she imagined she felt if she had a body and mind of her own…

Of course, that's all she was, but Weiss said it again to fight the reality of her life away. Her voice wavered, but she refused to let Ruby hear her cry or whine.

Weiss was strong. She wouldn't just cry like some kind of… of child. _"I'm alive."_

" _I know, Weiss. I know…"_ That same sort of vindication, that acknowledgement that she was a person brought a wave of relief over Weiss.

Blake might have been impossible to talk to, but at least Weiss could rely on Ruby not to be some unfeeling… thing. Weiss let out a sigh of relief, before she faded back into Ruby's mind, finally leaving the dark-haired girl alone.

* * *

Ruby didn't feel relief when Weiss finally went silent. She felt exhaustion. She felt like she just wanted to go back home and fall on her bed and sleep the week away. She just wanted to curl up in a hole and just… wait for all this stress and fatigued to go away.

She didn't even want to talk to Jaune. It wasn't his fault, but she just… she just wanted to avoid causing another argument in her own head. She just wanted to go find a bed and lay on it, alone, really, truly alone...

Then Nora threw herself onto Ruby, wrapping an arm around the other girl's neck.

"Hey, Ruby!"

"Oh. Hey, Nora." Ruby wanted to kick herself. She sounded so tired, but she really was just tired.

She tried to stretch out her smile, tried to stand up straight, but everything felt so damn fake. All she wanted was to go back to the hotel room and hide. Wallow away in the silence of her mind.

Ruby tried to pull away from the ginger, tried to walk away from even the possibility of conversation. "Bye, Nora."

"Hey, hey, where you going!?" Nora caught Ruby's arm, forcing the shorter girl to walk by Nora's side. "Stick around! We hardly ever get to talk, you and me!"

"Yeah, I… I guess," Ruby mumbled.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Nora wasn't an idiot.

She knew something was bothering Ruby, and for a moment she considered just leaving her alone. But Nora wasn't the type to just walk away from a problem, or from a sad friend. The ginger grinned, clapping a hand against Ruby's back, making her almost stumble.

"So, how are you enjoying the trip? You having a good time?"

"Yeah. I mean, how could I not? It's Hawaii…"

Nora had no idea where this negativity was coming from, but she intended on fixing it. She'd take a hammer to it and reduce it to rubble, or her name wasn't Nora Valkyrie!

"You know, the bachelorette's party is coming up! Just us girls hanging out, talking about boys, shooting stuff, maybe going clubbing."

Ruby blinked, and Nora knew she had her attention. "Wait, what was that middle thing?"

"Shooting stuff. Yeah, Coco's dad owns a bunch of guns. I bet he'll totally loan us some for the party!"

"You're joking, right?" Ruby asked, but Nora just shook her head as she began to skip.

"Nope. I think he gave Coco a minigun for her fourth birthday. Told her, use it on anyone who bothers her."

Nora stopped and held up her hands, pretending to carry a large minigun, before 'firing it' around her. "Pew pew pew pew pew! Auugh! Get to dah choppah!" she shouted, deepening her voice and putting on an accent as she motioned Ruby forward.

Ruby stared at the strange woman, before snorting, and letting out a quiet, small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. It might have been just because Nora looked or sounded stupid, but damn it, that was a step in the right direction!

Nora beamed at her victory. People underestimated her a lot due to her goofball nature, but that was the thing about her. Yeah, she was goofy, but being goofy didn't mean she wasn't smart.

It didn't mean she couldn't tell when someone was upset, and it certainly didn't mean Nora couldn't help that sad person.

Yeah, Nora acted silly sometimes. If people took that to mean she was dumb, that was their problem. Nora would happily play the fool for the rest of her life if it meant she could make people like Ruby, Ren, and Jaune smile.

"Uaughugh!"

"W-what is that?" Ruby giggled.

"It's my Arnold Schwartzeneger impersonation! Pretty good, huh?"

"It's… it's really good," she replied with a smile.

"Thanks. Been working on it for years," Nora joked, beaming with pride. Not at the impersonation, though she knew it was amazing, but rather because of Ruby's smile.

If Nora could prove just the tiniest bit of a distraction from whatever was eating at Ruby, well…. She'd do it in a heartbeat.

* * *

Jaune noticed Ruby and Nora talking to one another. He could hear the two laughing at one of Nora's antics, and he smiled at the sight.

"They seem to be bonding well," Ren commented, walking towards Jaune.

"Yeah," he agreed. "So, should I be worried?"

"Hm?"

Jaune turned his head, his arms crossed as he smiled at Ren. "She's talking to Ruby, you're talking to me… Can you blame me for thinking you two have something planned?"

Ren blinked, before chuckling. "If you're worried about a repeat of the movie incident, don't worry. That's not happening. No bad horror movies anywhere near us."

Jaune didn't seem to appreciate the joke. He just looked at the two, his smile long gone. "Nora wants us to start dating, doesn't she?"

"She's not the only one," Ren admitted. Jaune shook his head as Ren continued. "We can both see how happy you two make each other. Jaune, I haven't seen you smile this much in a long time. You're already acting like best friends despite only knowing each other for a few months."

Jaune said nothing in response, quietly walking forward through the forest. His feet crushed dirt and patches of fauna under them as Ren watched him. He followed just behind the blonde.

"If if you gave me at least one good reason as to why you're reluctant to date her, I could reel Nora back and we'd leave you two to work out things naturally, but you haven't. You and Ruby seem really happy together, yet whenever the idea of actually dating her pops up, you seem… upset."

And Jaune knew Ren meant what he said about backing off if Jaune gave him a reason. The two were like brothers, after all. Ren knew Jaune, and Jaune knew that Ren would never push too far.

Though Ren would certainly toe the line at times...

"I made a promise."

"Oh." Ren couldn't hide his annoyance at the simple statement. If Jaune admitted to not liking something about Ruby, or even being scared of entering a new relationship after Pyrrha, he would have been sympathetic. But a promise? A Jaune Arc Promise…?

"Tell me you didn't swear on your family name," the dark-haired man sighed. Jaune didn't reply at first.

"Not… that time."

Ren shook his head side to side. "What exactly did you promise?"

"It's complicated."

"Simplify it."

"I promised Ruby I wouldn't date her."

"You promised Ruby… that you wouldn't date Ruby?" Jaune nodded his head, and Ren glanced at the woman in question. She was laughing with Nora, smiling widely. "Can I ask what the context was?"

Jaune didn't answer for a moment. "Remember when Ruby and I went to that club? And I was kind of quiet the next day about it?"

"We still haven't talked about it. I'm assuming this is what you were upset about?"

"I'm not some guy who only makes friends with girls to date them, you know that, Ren." The darker-haired man lifted a brow. It sounded like Jaune was talking more to himself than him. Trying to justify something.

"So I thought I'd be fine making that promise to Ruby, but the more I hang out with her, the more I want… to be more than friends."

"You still haven't explained why she would even make you promise that."

"She said that she wasn't looking for a boyfriend. That I was nice, but she didn't want to date me, and that she would never want to date me."

Ren couldn't help but flinch slightly. Anger burned in his eyes, before he relaxed and gave Jaune a sympathetic, if confused look. "That seems a bit harsh…"

"Yeah," he bitterly chuckled. "Trust me, she made it clear she didn't want to date me. She even asked me to reject her if she was ever desperate enough to ask me out."

Ren's eyes widened, before narrowing into another glare. His eyes slowly turned to Ruby, zeroing in on her as he frowned. "Did she use that word…?"

Jaune nodded his head, not realizing the fallout from the simple gesture.

When Ren first met Ruby, he thought of her as a nice and sweet young woman. She seemed like a good person, and a great influence on Jaune. Now, he wasn't so sure.

What many might not realize when talking to Ren was just how protective he was, especially when it came to matters of his surrogate family. Jaune was his brother, and if someone thought themselves too good for Jaune, well, even a man as in control of his emotions as Ren had limits.

"Ren. You okay?"

"I'm fine." He failed to hide the annoyance in his voice again, and Jaune began to realize his mistake.

"Please don't be mad at Ruby," Jaune groaned.

"I…" Ren closed his eyes for a brief moment, suppressing his feelings once again. "I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed in her."

"Look, Ruby's opened up to me recently about some… personal stuff. She's been through a lot, Ren. I can't say I blame her for not wanting to date anyone right now."

"That's understandable. What isn't understandable is the arrogance of thinking my brother is below her."

"She isn't being arrogant." Ren wasn't sure to chalk it up to genuine belief or just Jaune's kind nature, but he dropped the issue entirely. He clearly didn't have all the details. It wasn't fair to judge something without the proper details.

He tried to remind himself of that fact as he took a heavy breath. "I'm sorry," Ren apologized.

Jaune nodded his head, accepting the quiet apology. He knew his 'brother' meant well, but… Well, Ren had a tendency to be emotional when it came to the safety and well-being of his family.

"So, I'm assuming Nora's talking to Ruby about dating me or something?" He blushed slightly at the idea, feeling his gut twist as he chewed his lip.

"She's supposed to be. Looks like they're just talking right now, though. Nora just did her Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation."

"Poor Ruby," Jaune snickered.

Ren said nothing, merely watching Nora and Ruby continue to talk. For all of the young man's intellect and wit, he wasn't sure what to say now. He came here to convince Jaune to finally ask Ruby out, but now he couldn't help but wonder if the young woman was worthy of being Jaune's girlfriend.

The young man let out a sigh, deciding the solution to this problem will come in time. He placed a hand on the blonde's back, gently patting him.

"Plenty of fish in the sea, Jaune."

"Yeah. I'm sure I'll find another nice, quirky girl to talk to right around the corner," Jaune chuckled, shaking his head as Ren gave a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry about me, Ren. I'll get over it."

Ren really hoped he wasn't lying.

* * *

Nora and Ruby didn't talk about Jaune for most of their walk. They talked about each other, their favorite movies, their favorite games, and just… one another.

The mission objective was to get Ruby to get with Jaune, but honestly? Right now Nora's primary objective was making her friend feel better, a job that she was succeeding at with flying

colors.

"Thor, God of Thunder. Best superhero ever. He's awesome! Great hair, a magical hammer, lightning powers, and I think crossdressed once. Totally my type!" Nora beamed.

Ruby chuckled at the other woman's infectious energy, before blinking. She raised her brow as she asked, "Wait, does that mean Ren…?"

"Ren what?" Nora replied, and the dark-haired woman just shook her head with a laugh.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Okay-dokei. So, my turn to ask you a question." Nora placed a hand to her chin, closing her eyes as she walked.

"Hey, Nora, be careful-"

She tripped, and Ruby let out a tiny scream as she rushed to catch her friend, but Nora needed no saving. She landed on her hands, cartwheeling and bringing herself back onto her feet in one quick motion. Her eyes were still closed as Ruby's jaw hit the ground.

"W-whoa! Nora, that was awesome!"

Nora snickered, before she beamed with pride at the act. "I fell over like twenty thousand times practicing that move back in highschool. Good to see I can still pull off my old cheerleading routine."

"You were a cheerleader?"

"Yep! I was the only student in my school who was part of both the cheer and football team. I'd cheer and hype myself up, then I tackled dudes twenty times bigger than me! It was awesome!"

"Are you serious?" Ruby blinked.

"Yep. I'm pretty aweso-ohmygod!" Nora stumbled, tripping on a rock. She reached for Ruby's outstretched hand, but all that accomplished was bringing both girls down onto the ground.

"Oof!"

Nora opened her eyes, and looked at Ruby's face as the two laid on the ground. Ruby was the first to laugh, chuckling and snorting as Nora followed, laughing right along with the other woman.

"That was part of my old routine."

"Oh, I'm sure." The two stood up and dusted each other off, continuing their walk with cheerful grins. "Still, you're pretty cool, Nora."

"You too, Rubes. Jaune's a lucky guy." Nora didn't meant for that to sound like… Well, she kind of meant it to sound like Jaune and Ruby were dating, but that was only because the two acted so friendly with one another!

The words just slipped out of Nora's mouth, and she cringed as she saw Ruby's blushing, nervous face. "W-what's that supposed to mean? Lucky how?"

"N-nothing! Just that you two are really good together. As friends! Great friends! Just like me and Ren. Okay, bad example. Like Coco and Fox! Ooh, worse example!" Nora wanted to slap herself on the forehead as Ruby continued to blush.

Nora had wanted to bring Jaune up eventually, but she was hoping to actually have a plan for when she did. Instead her fast talking mouth and slow thinking brain had thrown her into a minefield without any idea of what to actually do.

"I…" Ruby didn't say anything at first. She was just blushing, before she looked away. "Jaune and I are just friends," she mumbled.

"I-I know! But, I mean, you don't always have to be just friends, right?"

Ruby didn't say anything. She just turned away. "Nora, can… can we not talk about this…?"

Nora wanted to make Ruby happy, she really, really did, but part of her couldn't help but try and take advantage of the situation, hoping that her words would reach Ruby.

"I… It's just you two always look so happy together! Jaune's a great catch, and so are you! You guys already act like you're dating, I mean you went on a long, romantic walk together last night!"

"Nora…." Ruby actually sounded… mad. She growled out the word through clenched teeth, but Nora threw caution to the wind and kept trying, hoping she could convince her.

"I've known Jaune for years. I knew him when he was friends with Pyrrha, when he started dating her, and after Pyrrha broke up with him. I saw how down and depressed he was, but you made him smile again! You make him happy! Before you, he was super depressed and-"

"Nora, just stop." Ruby stomped her foot down, and for a moment Nora was terrified someone had her Ruby's outburst. Nora looked up and down the path, relieved to find Ren and Jaune were too far away to hear the other woman.

They were lucky, something Ruby was ignorant of as she continued, lips curled into a deep frown "Jaune doesn't want to date me. Alright? So can we just drop this?"

"He doesn't want to… why the heck do you think that?! The guy's head over heels for you, I can tell, he-"

"No, he doesn't." Ruby's eyes glanced down the path. She realized Jaune and Ren were far enough away that they might not hear the two, but she didn't want to chance it. She started moving, walking down the path as Nora practically glued herself to Ruby's side.

Ruby's voice was hushed as she glared into the dirt path. "Jaune doesn't want to date me. Now can you please stop?"

"But… I don't understand."

Ruby didn't want to answer. She was back to square one, back to just wanting the day to pass her by.

She wanted to just walk away and forget this ever happened, but Nora's hand caught her wrist. She didn't pull on the shorter girl, but Nora kept herself right by Ruby's side, walking in time with her so she couldn't pull away.

Despite trying not to say anything, Nora put two and two together, and she asked the question that Ruby had been dreading. "Ruby, did something happen last night between you and Jaune?" Her voice was low, quiet, but it weighed heavy with concern.

Ruby didn't say anything in response. She tried to feel if any of her alts were out, but as far as she could tell, they were still leaving her alone. They would have no idea about what she would say to Nora. There was a good chance Ruby would never have this chance again, to talk to Nora without the voices in Ruby's head listening in, hearing her little secrets…

Ruby looked away, staring down a separate path that led to a nearby lake. Nora followed her silver eyes, and before Ruby could stop her, Nora put on a smile and shouted out to the others, waving at them.

"Rubes and I are gonna go check out the cool lake over there! See if we can find any sea creatures! You guys keep going! We'll catch up!" It was strange to hear how different Nora could sound in a single moment. From a concerned friend to a hyperactive, silly child.

Nora pulled Ruby towards the small lake, where there were less people and the two would have a bit more privacy. Ruby couldn't even muster up a defense. Nora was shockingly strong, practically lifting Ruby off of the floor as they dashed to the lake.

When the ginger-haired woman stopped, Ruby honestly had no idea what to even say. Nora looked at her, waiting for an answer that would never come as the dark-haired girl blushed and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Ruby… What happened last night?"

"Nora, why do you care so much?" Ruby groaned, trying to pull her hand free. Nora's grip didn't give at first, but the stronger girl eventually released her, letting Ruby have her hand back. Ruby took her hand and placed it on her head, taking a deep breath.

It was too much. Jaune didn't want to date her, Yang was mad at her, Blake was being mean, Weiss was probably depressed, Ruby was insane, and she didn't know what to do.

She was lost, overwhelmed with everything that her life had become. Just a few months ago, she lived a quiet life alone. A lonely, but quiet life where she didn't have so much weighing down on her!

Nora placed her hands on Ruby's shoulder, shaking her slightly. Ruby looked at the other girl, and was shocked by the frown on Nora's usually beaming face.

"Why do I care? Ruby, I'm your friend. This isn't about Jaune. This isn't about me. It's about you. I care about you!" Nora's words carried an edge to them that Ruby had never heard before. In all the time she knew her, Nora seemed like a goofy, fun-loving ball of energy.

The kind of person to crack a joke and just want to have fun. Silly, weird, and uncaring about how the rest of the world saw her.

But when Ruby looked into Nora's eyes, all she saw were the concerned eyes of a friend. Just like Sun had looked at her. Those same eyes stabbed at Ruby's heart as she swallowed spit down her throat. She didn't listen to Sun years ago when he told her his worries about Adam, and she paid for it.

In that single moment, she asked herself a simple question. Would she make the same mistake?

"I... " Ruby sighed, pulling away from Nora. The cyan-eyed woman opened her mouth, but Ruby shook her head, sitting on the ground. "I think I messed up last night," she muttered, her voice hushed and weak. "With Jaune…"

"It's okay, Ruby." Nora placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, before she slowly led her down to sit on the ground.

"Tell Auntie Nora." Even now, she cracked jokes. Ruby snickered at that, smiling at the older woman. The laugh was weak, and it only took Nora a moment to realize Ruby was holding back tears.

"I was stupid." The dark-haired woman sighed, wiping at her eyes. "I was so stupid, Nora..." Nora gave Ruby's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, before she continued. Ruby bit the bullet, and she told Nora something that not even Yang knew.

"I tried kissing him last night. We were on the beach, and we were watching fireworks, and I-" She stopped herself, almost mentioning Adam and her parents. She bit the inside of her cheek, fighting back tears as held her head in her hands. She tried to suck in air through her cries as Nora held her tighter.

She closed her eyes and ground her teeth. She couldn't. She just wasn't ready to tell Nora about how broken and pathetic Ruby was…

"I tried kissing him, and he stopped me. He doesn't want to date me, Nora. It's just that simple." She felt tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Not because of Jaune, well… not just because of him.

Just from everything. There was only so much a single person could take. She felt like breaking. She felt like she just wanted to go home, and leave this 'vacation' as far behind her as possible.

Ruby was pulled out of her thoughts by Nora, who suddenly pulled her into a hug. The smaller girl's eyes widened at the embrace. She was frozen as Nora stroked her back.

"Ruby, I'm so, so sorry that happened…" She squeezed Ruby in her arms, and the young woman blinked as she felt vulnerable again.

Here she was, opening up, throwing her secrets out on the table. First Jaune, now Nora, and once again, that person showed her such… kindness. They held her, and comforted her, and Ruby didn't feel so alone any longer.

Maybe there really was something to this place. Or maybe it really was just the company…

"Jaune's an idiot for rejecting you like that. I'm sorry you had to go through that…" Ruby's arm slowly rose up, before falling onto Nora's back.

"I just… I felt so stupid after he rejected me. I know I shouldn't, but-"

"Hey, who says what you're supposed to feel?!" Nora pulled back, keeping her hands on Ruby's shoulders as the ginger glared at her friend. "This is your heart! It wants what it wants! No one can tell you how to feel, but you!"

The other woman shook Ruby gently, surprising the younger girl as her friend continued. "If you feel sad, be sad." Nora grinned at Ruby, flashing her pearly whites. "You got friends to pick you up when you're feeling down. Not just Jaune, but you got me too!"

Ruby stared at Nora, before she embraced her, resting her head on Nora's shoulder as the other woman held her tightly. They hugged one another as Ruby crumpled under the weight of her life.

"Let it out, Ruby… It's okay."

"I just… I-" Ruby failed to stop her tears as she quietly gasped. "I just feel like so much stuff is falling on me, and I feel… I feel alone, and no matter what I do, everyone's upset. I can't make anyone happy, and-"

"You aren't alone, Ruby. You got me, and you got Ren too. We'll always be happy to help you, if you need us. We'll be happy to take some of that weight off of you, because that's what friends do."

Ruby chuckled, weakly laughing through her tears. She wiped her eyes as Nora continued to smile. "Thanks, Nora…" She pulled away, ending the hug as Nora kept a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"No problem, Rubes. I'm always here if you need a pal!" Ruby nodded at the promise, before the two simply enjoyed one another's company. They sat by the small lake and Nora kept an arm over Ruby, giving her a one-armed hug as they sat in the peaceful serenity of nature.

Nora didn't say anything, giving Ruby a moment of silence that the younger girl didn't know she needed. No alts, no Jaune, just a moment to center herself again.

Ruby enjoyed the moment for as long as she could. She listened to the sound of birds singing, the peace of not having to hide her emotions, and the simple joy of company.

She continued to wipe her eyes, brushing away the last of her tears as Nora gave her the occasional squeeze. Finally Ruby broke the silence.

"Thanks, Nora. I… I guess I just needed to vent."

"Totally fine, Rubes. Everyone does sooner or later. It's not healthy to bottle all that stuff in, y'know."

"Mmmhm."

"You ready to get back on the trail? Any longer and the others will probably abandon us here. We'd have to eat each other to survive, and I'm not gonna lie, I'll probably betray and eat you first." Nora and Ruby laughed, but the younger of the two didn't move.

Ruby sat on the ground, looking at the ground as she chewed her lower lips. "Nora?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you think Jaune rejected me last night?" Ruby sighed, hanging her head low. "I wish it didn't bother me, but I can't stop thinking about it! Does he just want to be friends? Does he not like me that way? Did I do something wrong?"

"Ruby." Nora was, again, the voice of reason, and a calming influence on her friend. She smiled at Ruby as she spoke. "I can't tell you what was going through Jaune's head that night, but I can tell you this. If you want to be happy, pursue that happiness. Shoot your shot. Talk to him about it!"

"T-talk to him? I-I can't do that!" Ruby argued.

"Sure, you can! It's easy!" Judging by her frozen expression, Ruby disagreed. "Okay, maybe not easy, but it is possible. You deserve the truth to know why he won't date you, at least. I mean, I would have never gotten together with Ren if I gave up"

"I'm not you, Nora," Ruby huffed. "Besides, I don't want to ruin what we have. I just… I want us to keep being friends, even if we can't be… y'know."

"But you'd both be so happy together! You'd be like the cutest couple ever!"

"Nora." Ruby ground her teeth, glaring into the lake in front of them. She saw her reflection, but her expression only wrinkled, turning bitter as she saw into her own silver eyes. "I just don't know what to do…"

Damned if she did, damned if she didn't. She could confront Jaune about it, and do what? Ruin their friendship? Or she can keep her mouth shut, and just deal with this pain in her chest, hoping it would go away, hoping that not knowing would be easier for her.

Maybe it would be. Because if for some godforsaken chance he actually wanted to date her, how long would it take for her to be thrown into a nuthouse just like her mother?

Maybe she was better off there...

Nora saw her friend's expression, and it broke her heart, but like always, she put on a smile. Nora embraced Ruby, pulling the other girl into a gentle hug. "Look, Ruby, I… I don't know what the future has in store. I've got no clue, but I do know this."

Ruby didn't say anything, and so Nora continued. "Whatever happens between you and Jaune? You and I are still friends. You ever need me, you come talk to me, okay, Ruby?"

The younger woman didn't answer at first. She wouldn't know what to say if she did. As Nora hugged her, Ruby stared into her reflection. She saw her bright, shimmering silver eyes.

A rare eye color that she had inherited from her mother… It tore at her heart to know that they weren't just hers.

Ruby was a freak, and part of her couldn't help but wonder, was Jaune better off without her?

She felt Nora squeeze her, and the dark-haired woman pressed her face against Nora's shoulder. She enjoyed the warm, tight embrace for the moment, soon returning the hug.

"Thanks, Nora…"

* * *

Eventually the walk had ended, and everyone regrouped together to talk about their next move. Most were ready to head back to the hotel, though some clearly wanted to enjoy the nightlife that Hawaii had to offer.

Eventually it was agreed that the group would split up. Those who wanted to go back to the hotel could, while the rest went off to enjoy the night.

Ruby and Jaune didn't speak to each. They both wanted to, but something else held them back. For Ruby, it was that pain in her heart, the one she felt whenever she thought a future with the man. As friends or lovers, she knew they were probably on borrowed time.

For Jaune, he could see something was bothering Ruby, but every attempt to start a conversation just ended in small talk and conversations that ended in dead ends. He sighed, unsure of what to do as they were driven back to their hotel.

As they both stared out their windows into the night sky, both of them returned to their night together. 'What could have beens' plagued their minds.

She didn't even have the benefit of her alts talking to one another. Yang, Blake, and Weiss were all silent, and while Ruby used to appreciate these rare moments of silence, considering how the day went… She just wasn't sure what she should feel.

The group arrived at the hotel, and like lifeless machines, they returned to their room in silence. Ruby and Jaune soon changed into their pajamas, one at a time, before they both looked at their shared bed. Their eyes met, and their faces burned as they looked back at the bed between them.

"Um… Do you want me to sleep somewhere else, or something?" Jaune offered.

" _Yes,"_ Weiss grumbled.

"No!" Ruby argued, surprising Jaune with the sudden shout. "Er, I mean, no. No. I don't want you to get a bad night's sleep or something. We can share the bed again."

" _Is that okay with you guys?"_ Ruby asked the others.

" _Ugh, whatever."_

" _Doesn't matter to me."_

Yang didn't bother answering.

* * *

It was late now. The sky was almost black, and the clouds a dark, dark shade of navy as they flowed over the island. Ruby and Jaune were asleep, their bodies by side with one another, but with several inches of empty space keeping them apart.

The two slept the night away, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone awake in the room.

Yang sat within her sister's mind, quietly contemplating as her hand hovered over a metaphorical button. That was just how her mind perceived it, at least. The reality of the matter wasn't nearly as cinematic, or literal.

The alt could feel her sister's dreams, just beyond a thin veil in their mind. It was hard to describe, but it was like the world within Ruby's mind was made up of emotions and thoughts, like those were solid things in their mental, metaphorical mind.

Yang could feel Ruby's dreams, dreaming of Jaune and all the friends they had met. It was a good dream, a happy one.

One that Yang considered ruining. It would be an easy thing to do. She could rekindle old memories, make Ruby remember Adam and all the terrible things he made her experience. She could make Ruby relive all that pain, and maybe that would be enough to scare her away from Jaune.

If Yang played off of Ruby's trauma and pain, she could ruin what Ruby and Jaune were building between them. She could end their romance before it ever began. The nightmares would make Ruby pull away from Jaune, drive a wedge between them that would keep them from ever being more than friends.

She tried justifying it to herself. That this was the right thing to do. What any big sister would do for her little sister. She was sparing Ruby from future heartbreak, saving her from being betrayed again…

Jaune would hurt Ruby just like Adam, just like Tai, just like everyone did sooner or later. Yang was saving Ruby, that's why she had to hurt her little sister...

In that moment, in that single moment, Yang hated herself. She truly, truly loathed herself. What kind of monster would even consider making their little sister relive the worst moments of her life, just to destroy her chances with a good man?

It was wrong. It was sick. Yet Yang couldn't stop herself from considering it.

The alt felt a stir in the back of Ruby's mind, and she called out to the darkness. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, but she could feel the presence of another.

" _Who's there?"_

" _What… what are you doing, Yang?"_ Weiss' voice spoke out to her, and just like how Yang could feel her presence, Weiss could feel Yang's 'fingers' tracing the outline of Ruby's dream. Just a pinch, and the oldest alt could change it into a nightmare.

" _Weiss…?"_ Yang didn't say anything at first, before she called out to the dark again. _"You're awake too, aren't you, Blake?"_

" _I am."_

" _How long have you been up?"_

" _Long enough to know what you're thinking about doing."_

" _And you've just been watching me?"_

" _I was only going to act if I thought you'd actually do it."_

" _Can someone tell me what's going on? What is Yang doing, exactly?"_ Weiss asked.

It was easy to forget how young Weiss was compared to the others. She acted their age, but she knew nothing of the inner workings of the mind. She had no idea how to manipulate Ruby's dreams.

Yang waited for Blake to answer Weiss, but when she didn't, Yang did instead. _"When we lost mom, Ruby would have these really bad nightmares. It got so bad, I used to stay up and change them, or block them so she wouldn't have to experience them."_

" _You can do that?"_

" _We all can,"_ Blake explained. _"Just something that comes with being mental constructs, but that isn't what Yang is considering doing tonight."_ Somehow Yang could feel Blake's eyes glaring at her. _"Do you want to tell her, or shall I?"_

" _Tell me what?"_

" _It works the other way too. We can turn happy dreams into nightmares. I…"_ Yang felt the words choke her non-existing throat as her non-existent teeth ground against one another. She probably would have felt tears pooling in her eyes if she had them.

" _Yang was going to make Ruby relive her worst moments with Adam."_

" _What…? Why?! What possible reason could you have to do that?! What is wrong with you?!"_ Weiss screamed, and Yang felt herself shaking from the outburst. .

Yang didn't answer for a while, but when she did, the answer was quiet. Almost a whimper as she uttered one word. _"Integration."_

" _What?"_

" _The process is called 'Integration,'"_ Blake explained. _"It's where alternate personalities are reabsorbed by the main identity, creating a single, whole person. Yang and I learned about it a… a long time ago. Before your time."_ For a moment, Blake's voice wavered. She then continued on as Weiss listened.

The young alt's heart would have been racing, if she had one.

Her tone was cold, stoic, with a level of understanding that neither of the alts could comprehend. _"Alternate personalities like us are made when Ruby is dealt a trauma. It's a self defense mechanism. I was born from Summer being put into an asylum, you were made after Adam… hurt Ruby, Yang, and myself. That is how we are made. A trigger, a trauma. We are a reaction made to help the main personality deal with the problem."_

" _As you know, Jaune has been helping Ruby. He's helping her out of her shell, they even spoke about Summer and Adam last night. She trusted him enough to tell him one of her greatest secrets. It's likely that if they start dating, they'll only get closer, and Ruby's pain will finally begin to fade away."_

Weiss was slowly putting the pieces together. The same pieces Blake and Yang had put together a long time ago. The youngest alt felt herself shaking as Blake spelled it out for her.

" _If Ruby doesn't need us to help her process her pain and trauma, then we won't have a reason to exist anymore, and there is a very good chance we will be reintegrated back into Ruby's mind."_

" _We'll be dead,"_ Yang spat.

" _We were never alive to begin with,"_ Blake stated.

" _That… that can't be right! You're wrong! You can't know that!"_ Weiss argued, but Blake's calm voice was a clear indicator of how confident Blake was in this outcome.

" _Integration is only a theory, but we don't know anyone else with DID. From what research I could make, it is simply the most likely outcome."_ Blake paused, before continuing.

The other girls could feel Blake's uncertainty in her voice. This was all running on a theory, but it was like hearing that they 'might die any second.' The possibility of death was almost worst than a promise of it.

" _Maybe Jaune and Ruby's relationship will crumble from their own actions and faults. Maybe not. You have to realize, there is a very real possibility that if they become closer, Ruby's trauma and pain will fade, and we will all be dead within a few years."_

There was silence in Ruby's mind. None of the three spoke as they swallowed down the realization. Yang was the first to speak up, and her voice was harsh, on the edge of breaking down.

" _And you're okay with this, aren't you, Blake…?"_ Yang couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice. The jealousy. The very idea of accepting this fate was… it was revolting to her.

Blake shared none of her fire. _"I always knew it was a possibility. Either Ruby would overcome her trauma and we would cease to exist, or she would not. We're alts. This is just how things are."_

" _No!"_ Yang shouted. _"I wasn't born just to take care of Ruby! I was born for more than that!"_

" _You were never born. You were made. You're not even really alive, Yang. Not in the biological sense."_

" _Go to hell! I have thoughts! I have hopes, and dreams! I want to fall in love, to live my life, to be someone! I have every right to want to live!"_

" _No. You don't. We are alts. Our only purpose is to help Ruby. We can't be selfish."_

" _Don't talk to me about being selfish! I knew Ruby before either of you! I loved her before any of you! She's my sister!"_

" _No. She isn't. You're a voice in her head, a symptom of mental illness. You're not-"_

" _Fuck. You!"_ Yang spat, and despite not having the ability to cry, both Weiss and Blake could hear her choking back sobs.

There was silence. Neither Weiss or Blake spoke for a moment as Yang fought back non-existent tears. Ruby's body and mind continued to slumber, ignorant of the turmoil swirling within her mindscape.

" _If you're really her sister, you should be happy to help her,"_ Blake finally uttered, but her words only enraged the other alt.

" _Damn it, Blake! I love Ruby, but I want to live too! She shouldn't be the only one allowed to be happy, to fall in love! I want to be alive too!"_ The waiver in Yang's voice was impossible to miss. She screamed through tears, roaring at the two, leaving them in silence. It was quiet as Yang's quivering voice whimpered, _"I want to live…"_

" _We don't always get what we want, Yang."_ An ounce of sympathy was in Blake's voice. It felt like forever since Yang last heard Blake speak with such care.

Silence, until Weiss' voice broke the tension between the two. _"Does… does that mean that Ruby can only get better if we stop existing?"_ Blake and Yang's silence was enough to answer the question.

" _This… this is…."_

" _Utter crap?" Yang offered with a bitter chuckle._

" _This isn't fair,"_ Weiss whimpered. _"I… I had plans. I was going to meet Pyrrha, a-and sing for someone, and… and be happy."_

" _No, it isn't fair. None of this is fair! This is bullshit!"_ Yang roared.

" _Then turn her dream into a nightmare. Ruin her chance at a happy, stable relationship."_ Blake dared Yang to pull the trigger, and Weiss spoke up immediately.

" _No! We can't do that!"_

" _It's the only way, Weiss,"_ Blake explained, with a mocking, venomous tone. _"For us to avoid the risk of Integration, Ruby needs to be unable to accept her trauma. She has to be in pain for us to live."_

Yang had a trigger in her hand. Either she hurt Ruby, or Yang could die. Either she did this now, or suffered for it later. Her breath was shaky as she wrestled with herself, fighting with herself. She could feel tears going down her face, her face, not Ruby's! Her tears...

"You don't know that," Weiss' voice growled.

Blake and Yang turned their attention to the youngest personality. Weiss spoke with a quivering voice, soft, but shaken. _"Ruby promised me that I'm not just a voice in her head. I'm alive. I… I think if Ruby gets better, we won't die."_

" _You don't know that,"_ Blake sighed. _"Integration has evidence, it's a real theory put forth by actual experts."_

" _But it could be wrong! F-for us."_

" _If Ruby gets better, any of us could die at any moment," Yang mumbled. Blake and Weiss said nothing, before the oldest of them ground her teeth and sighed. "Let's put it to a vote. All in favor of me… of me hurting Ruby?"_

No one spoke.

Not even Yang.

" _It's unanimous,"_ Yang bitterly declared.

" _Yang…?"_ Weiss spoke up, but Yang interrupted her.

" _I can't… I can't do it. I thought I could, but I can't,"_ she cried. _"I just can't…"_ Her hand dropped the trigger, and Yang cried as she felt Weiss' presence press against her. It was as close to an embrace as they could manage as Yang wept.

Yang didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to be a person, not a stepping stone to Ruby's recovery.

All it would take was a small shift. It'd be so easy to turn Ruby's dream into a nightmare, but Yang just couldn't do it. No matter how much she wanted to live, she couldn't betray her sister like that.

Guilt. Shame. All of her sins, all of her mistakes welled up inside of her, and burst out like lava from a volcano. Weiss stayed with Yang, trying to comfort the alt as Blake faded away into the subconscious.

Yang felt the full weight of her actions hit her like a freight train. All that she had done to her little sister, and all that she had wanted to do. She was guilty of so much, and she would soon beg Ruby and the others for forgiveness, but that was for another day.

For now, Yang cried as Weiss stayed by her side. Both of them thought of the future, but Weiss dared to hope for a better tomorrow, as Yang struggled to accept her possible end.

 **END**

I went into this chapter with two big focuses. Nora wanted to be Ruby's friend, and not just treat Ruby as a new Pyrrha, while Yang struggled to accept the possibility of her death.

I like to think of this chapter as Yang's almost Moral Event Horizon. For those who know their tropes, the MEH is the line in the sand that determines if a character can come back to good. If Yang had betrayed Ruby and sabotaged her sister's life to that degree, I feel like a lot of you would want her head.

But she didn't, and now begins her little path to redemption. Meanwhile, Weiss tries to be hopeful about the future (funny, with Ruby not in their dynamic, Weiss ends up being the optimistic one. Weird), while Blake is just accepting of their eventual end.

Next chapter involves some character development for Yang and Weiss, a little bit of light hearted fun with RNJR, some fluff, and some drama. Ah, it's good to be back.

See ya next time, folks. Love you, stay safe, and remember, you are loved.


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